Get A Life!
by SnowShadowuser
Summary: Unedited, uncut, un... I mean, THE original GAL! that brought me, Snowgirl, to fame. I think. It's a farewell gift to my faithful readers. So read, enjoy, and write on.
1. Homesick?

**AN:** Okay, so I needed to type up something similar to a comedy relief. Just don't mind all the changes I made; it was required.

**Disclaimer:** I almost forgot about this…okay, I don't own Inuyasha…simple?

**- **

_Type, type, type…stab, stab, stab._

You sometimes notice that when you try to type so fast, you unknowingly keep on stabbing your fingers on the side until you finally notice your bruised fingers, when you shut off your computer and look down at your red, blue, and purple pair of hands.

Well, I wasn't paying much attention to my poor tortured body parts that were enduring so much pain that was humanely possible, since I was trying to type up this report before sundown – which was fast approaching, mind you.

And it wasn't your normal sized paper that was due for those teachers expecting the impossible. Oh, no, it was one of those papers you had to type up that was badly demanded…and if it wasn't handed in-

-Well, let's just say me and my partner wouldn't be able to eat a single nibble of lettuce for a month. Not even that oh so juicy donut…

And speaking of my partner-

_"Kagome!"_ A sudden cheery and a hint of tired voice conjured from the top of my laptop screen. _So_ annoying…

I snapped my head up from the totally white screen and had to blink some numerous times. Hey; an hour just typing without blinking could make _anyone's_ eyes sore, not to mention the _freezing_ temperature of Canada, adding the fact that I was actually outside in the snow and not inside in my partner's traveling truck.

Yes, if you haven't guessed, I'm outside in the snow during one of those cold, horrible freezing temperatures in Toronto, and you know why? My dang partner says I need 'fresh air'. Who needs it?!

To think I had to live with this stupid suggestions every single **bloody** day. Death would be worse than hell.

Now here I am with this guy, freezing my bum off just sitting on the steel bumper of the traveling truck, dangling my feet trying hopelessly to warm them up, and I'm still sitting, typing with my bare fingers and watching doughnut sized circle of smoke puff out of my probably purple lips (that was still chattering uncontrollably).

Did I mention that I ridiculously resembled a penguin? What, with my puffy white jacket (Canadian made! God bless them…) and my incredibly tight black pants could have passed as a best way to look like the bird anything. Especially Halloween.

A perfect scene for him to laugh at.

_"What?!"_ I snapped at him as I kept on trying to control my anger, and my fingers, from punching him smack in the face. It was good I had trained on my hand-eye coordination skills, as this was the perfect moment to test it out. Let's see if I could keep on typing with my numb fingers while I thought of ways to humiliate my dear partner.

It was that dead cold, let me tell you that during consciousness.

He kept on trying to get some air in from his hysterical laugh, which must have been painful since the sharp jab only let him bring in freezing moisture, but kept on failing to stop laughing and talk to me – like every other _SANE _idiot that's alive right now on planet earth.

After some more sharp intake of breath and teardrops from his normally dry eyes (which was perfect in forming icicles) now going hysteric, he leaned on his snowboard and took another sharp (and calmer) breath in, finally read to talk.

"Guess who won…" He smiled in his most cheerful (and seductive…) way and leaned even further onto his well polished blue and purple snowboard.

Everything he had was purple and blue (for some obvious reason that I'm not exactly in the mood to explain about).

I had no idea why he had to polish his snowboard like that, when he knew he was going to use it roughly and possibly dangerously. It was so bright that I was forced to narrow my eyes into slits, just at the mere sight of the sun-bright wooden board, making him more stand out as a god-like creature.

Do you know how much I hate guys like that? Yeah, well, I guess I shouldn't start babbling on about that right now.

I groaned in weariness, like anyone with my situation would've.

"Oh great; more work for the _little old me_!" I sarcastically replied, turning my voice into a totally exasperated pitch of an elf, you know, getting into the season?

He sighed. Just the reaction I expected from him.

"Well, it's not like I'm going to **LOSE**, just so my little sister can get a little less work." He said stubbornly and walked off, probably going off to find some girls to flirt.

But what bothered me the most was him, calling _me_, his 'little sister'.

…I was also wondering if there were any bandages left in the cabinet, and why in the devil I was chewing on my crunchy hair…

…?

**Get A Life!**

Chapter One: Homesick?

_By: Snowgirl_

First off; I had no voice in whether I ever _wanted_ to ride in the traveling truck with my partner out of Canada. I mean seriously – I have _no_ idea why I was even there in the truck for the first part. It was so annoying; exactly like I didn't have any choice in this at all.

Okay, so let me explain this better in details from the start.

It all started when my father died from lymph cancer when I was just, I don't know, five? It happened such a long time ago, I don't feel the need to brood anymore…

Anyway, my supposedly seven years old 'big brother', yeah, that's right, _big brother_, decided to stop listening to my grandfather and obeying him like a slave. Effectively stopping his training in becoming a priest, and deciding to show his true…colors…from his years of hiding the true animal inside of him.

Yeah…true color.

That literally gave my grandfather a hysterical (yet awfully humorous) heart attack. He had to stay in the hospital for over a month. That's what he gets for persisting my mom into _adopting_ Miroku, people.

Shocked? Surprised?

Tha-at's right! My partner, no; I mean my _big brother_, is actually adopted! Can you ever have guessed?

Why, you ask, did my grandpa make my parents adopt Miroku?

This is how it goes;

My grandpa was incredibly into demons, wards, and spiritual stuff, as you have guessed, and that kind of explains why I was born and raised in an ancient Tokyo shrine.

My grandpa, been the maniac and the unforgettable crazy type of guy, he, the old man, decided to pass on his 'skills' to one of his grandchildren.

I was already born and been a lively little girl, in that special age when you especially act super girlish, so that saved me from the crazy persistence of being a priestess. He wasn't much up to teaching a little girl. Who'd bother teaching a girl who played with make-ups all day, anyway?

His next choice was my little brother, Souta, who was just born and obviously too young to even chew on the fake paper. Excuse me; I mean 'wards'.

So he literally 'made' my parents adopt a boy. Specifically a boy with purple eyes, being his favorite color, four years older than me, and the other assorted kind of package a priest needed. A boy with the perfect ways of being taught the dieing skills of the old.

Out comes Miroku!

He was like a slave to my grandfather the entire years of my father's life; all those coordination skills with his hands and body, and even learning how to memorize all the important facts about Buddha from the Sengoku Era until the modern ages…everything and more until, that is, my dad died.

Everything was falling into place.

My dad died, hospital funds, funeral funds, yelling, stress and Miroku decided to show his true colors instead of being a slave to an old man and a future priest of the shrine.

The first sign was when he started to spike his hair one by one, and seriously, I think he was really enjoying the skeptical and horrified look he got from all the visitors that came to honor the shrine, as he always 'accidentally' bumped into them.

My grandpa was extremely angry, but it was one of those rules that had forbid him to deny any, _personal_, hygiene his young 'grasshopper' decided to take up.

Nothing got better after that.

He started piercing his ears, and he would have pierced his tongue if it wasn't for the age restriction thing (thank lord), he actually bought a Harley motorcycle (a sleek black one, if you're interested), and then it got even wilder and more unstoppable from then on.

The only thing that's left in him showing any sign as a priest-making is his favorite color of blue and purple, from all those years he spent with my grandpa (and explains why every clothes he owns are mostly blue and purple), and all his knowledge of Buddha that'll sadly never be erased by any force possible. (Much to my brother's agony and my grandpa's delight).

I don't know if his perverted side was just a side effect from the _heart-striking loss_ of my father, a scar of the priest-training, or just from his perverted family gene we have no idea about.

I, personally, think it's his mysterious family gene, but that's a story I'll never discover.

We hadn't really notice any of his other talents he shoved and hid deep inside himself for the last five years, you know; his mental mystery kind of thing…until he somehow got noticed by a recruiter.

Let me tell you in full detail.

It was one of those rare times when Miroku would actually share his time, willingly, and actually let me ride on his motorcycle. I guess it wasn't too bad riding on a Harley, but getting weird looks from other passengers on cars beside us was enough to get me red for a lifetime.

After some lifetime of blushing and doing crazy tricks on his motorcycle, I quote, Are you crazy?! Get me down from here!, and quote, we finally got to out destination.

_The pizza parlor!_ Hey, I was hungry! You can't blame on my stomach!

Anyway, so we go into this parlor and get all these weird looks from everyone in there. Mostly the girls watching Miroku in way I'm not exactly comfortable of describing.

But the weirdest thing was, a guy was staring at me and Miroku. He had this huge brown coat on and most of his facial features was covered up by his huge sunglasses that was probably in style during the 80's, not to mention his very…err…different, yeah, different mustache.

Anyway, I try to ignore his disturbing stare and walk over to the usual seat I take and Miroku walks over to the usual pack of girls he flirts with and all goes well from there.

Until I finish my double cheese thick-crusted pizza, that is.

So there I was, taking my last bite and Miroku finally joining for lunch, only to find the empty tray, a very well-full me, and an open bill book just ready and waiting for him to stash some money into it, when wouldn't you know it? The same old creepy guy comes up to our table and offers to pay for the pizza.

Miroku's all happy and all and glares at me, but I get a little suspicious. Not that that would make him listen.

So they started talking and he suddenly takes his huge coat off, revealing his business suite and then pulls out his suite case out, and don't start asking where in the world he hid that because he did have his huge coat and all.

He pulls out some papers and I'm all confused, but Miroku seemed all confident about what he was doing, which made me even more worried, and signs all the papers in the suite case with the pen the guy gave him and after that, he just leaves with this triumphant smirk.

I was completely at a loss than, let me tell you that.

So thankfully Miroku forgets about his lunch and quickly pulls me, who was asking what the hell was going on with no response, with him towards his motorcycle.

I keep asking, but he just shushes me up and drives me back home without any more response at all.

That's how it's been for a whole month, him leaving and coming back home randomly and not saying anything about it to me or my family.

Until he finally takes his guts and tells about his _accomplishment_ to my entire family one night.

Turns out, that weirdo and creep, was a recruiter (a big shocker there), and was looking for a new…recruit.

My family didn't really show any reaction than, but in my eyes, I could see their mind showing red alarms and sirens going off, as if Santa forgot to read his list for Christmas and elves were going crazy in their mind.

They were right to panic.

Now, here I am, in a traveling truck…with my brother.

I have no idea how the hell I got stuck baby-sitting Miroku, but somehow Kami just had to play some sick joke on me and make me become Miroku's, I don't know, some kind of manager?

I shut my laptop off and look up at Miroku, who was in the driver's seat and too busy trying to pass some _slow-moving_ cars, who in truth, were driving perfectly in normal speed.

Maybe I should have driven instead.

I put the laptop on the table top and take off my scarf, just noticing the sweat from the heavy jacket I was still wearing. Some times, I was so busy typing that I guess I just forget what I'm doing.

It's life, people! I do what I do.

Sighing, I slump myself back on the wall couch of the truck and watch as the trees kept on passing through the hazy window. I was too exhausted to press my hand against the smoky window and rub a small circle to see the outside better so I just watched the vague shaped of the trees…or cars, I couldn't tell.

Three years.

Ever since Miroku became one of the best athletes in the world, we had to travel around every country known to man for showing off his mad skills and doing popular demands, like just this mourning, he had to ski for five straight hours through the wild and racing against five different competitors.

The funny thing was, it started out with thirty competitors.

"Oi, Miroku!" I shouted over the honks from the many angry drivers he passed just barely missing them and had too much near collides for comfort. Okay, so he maybe a nice guy, but he was still a crazy (and a maniac) driver.

"Yeah?!" He shouted back, obviously annoyed at the drivers in front of him, who were going slower than him in comparison.

"Where're we going again?!" I shouted back, my throats getting a little raspy from the yelling from the honks and the loud engine.

Another loud honk came from the next lane and completely droned out what Miroku said in response, making him look like he was just moving his mouth and only mouthing the words.

_"WHAT?!"_ I yelled back and coughed again.

**_"I SAID _ _HAWAII__!!!"_** Miroku yelled back and I swear I saw a huge vein mark on his forehead.

I stayed completely silent after that.

Three years we stayed in Canada, and this may sound dorky, but this was like a second home to me after Japan. I mean, I still miss my family and my brother too, since he's probably ten now and I haven't seen him for five years. The only pictures I have of him are postcards from mama. Sad, right?

But since we travel a lot, staying one day in the same place is already a long time for me, so it's all the same. So I guess staying somewhere different this year in Christmas would be a good experience, since Christmas is due in a week…

Maybe I should get started on the next paper I was suppose to type up, thanks to his new _victory_ this morning.

I sighed again.

Obviously, did he have to win all the time?!

…

…wait, did he say…

… _Hawaii_

**AN:** Kagome; a girl with sarcasm and years of regret behind her. Of course she's really pissed off at the world!

This will be in Kagome's point of view the whole time, and it will mostly be an Inuyasha/Kagome fic. Though it could unexpectedly change anytime.

And remember to review!


	2. Aloha…Loser!

- I guess I was never a people person, unlike _some people_. I mean, I'm not like Miroku at all…thank god for that. You see, Miroku is a person that could get under a girl's skirt as easily as groping their butts. Okay, so maybe that was a little bit of _too _much information. Anyway, what I'm saying is, every time I meet anyone, no matter a girl or a boy, I just freeze. I can't speak, I can't move, I just stay put as if I was trapped in an icicle. Just maybe, I could have gotten a better training in people talking, but ever since I had to travel with Miroku when I was only ten, I guess I lost track of time and got more into typing with my fingers than talking with my lips that was mostly kept closed all the time. It's like, every time I open my mouth, it was like been naked for me in front of a pack of people in a mall or something… - Kagome

"Hey, Kagome!" A _very _familiar and _very _annoying voice yelled at me, breaking my concentration as my usual delicate typing was disrupted irritatingly by a good shake of my shoulders. Don't you just hate that?

"Gawk!" I gawked in suppressed way to choke out my scream I often did when I was small. You know, when you haven't talked for a _long _time, and when you're forced to scream, you just can't, because you just don't know how to use your voice anymore. I know, it's weird, but that was how it was for me, since the only person I ever talked to was my _brother_.

Miroku tried to cough at my humorous way of screaming. I growled in annoyance. Sometimes, I just wonder what would it have been like if my parents _didn't_ adopt Miroku…life would be _so _much easier, wouldn't you think?...and would make so much more sense too, probably…

"What, Priest?!" I ask, using his 'nickname' I gave him long ago and tried to suppress my annoyance to a mere growl. I got really good at that, since I growl at Miroku _all _the time…all the time he annoys me, I mean, which doesn't make any difference to all the time…

"Just so you might want to watch…" He said obviously ignoring the nickname he didn't actually except and picked up the remote control that was beside my laptop on the little table you bring down from the seat before you. Miroku turned on one of the small TV that was hanging in the far right side of the corner of the plane. The TV fizzled as it tried to get the right signal to operate and Miroku growled in annoyance. Hmmm…I guess I made some bad influence on him…

He flipped some channels and it was taking such a long time, I was just about to continue my diary entry when-

"Aha!" Miroku yelled in triumphant and suddenly there was a loud rock music echoing all around the small airplane, bouncing off the walls, only Miroku and I was riding on.

He left before I was able to scold at him at his practical joke. Real mature Priest, real mature…

Leaving my laptop at where it was, I walked up to the seat where he dropped the remote control at and tried to shut the darn TV off, but what was on it distracted me before I completely turned it off.

There he was, his luxurious silver hair pouring out of his helmet he was taking off, his amber eyes wide and sharp as a tiger's, his motorcycle still running under him, him sitting there on the dirt covered seat, winking at the TV…than blank and the screen went off as I threw the remote control into the seat Priest dropped it at.

I wasn't going to let him beat me…

I wasn't going to let some playboy _daredevil_ beat Miroku…not that I'm trying to help him or anything…

**Get A Life! **

_Chapter Two: Aloha…Loser! _

By Snowgirl AKA Sasari

Okay, so I have this rivalry thing against our competitors, but that's normal, right? You see, I was always the competitor type, like whenever someone say I _can't _do this particular thing, I just prove them that I _can_ no matter how much pain I have to go through. I just can't _stand_ anyone denying me! So this is probably why I hate the Karachi _incorporate_. Erg…

See here in _my _point of view…this Karachi guy is this world wide famous _daredevil_ that has more than fifty national gold medals in every sport imaginable, which explains _why _they call him a _daredevil_...the devil explains him perfectly. He won the _sexiest player_ awards five times in a low, making Miroku take second place for five times in a low, not that I complain about that. He has this abnormal silver hair and they say that _all _the girls that look into his amber eyes are enchanted to fall in love with him forever…I _so _don't believe that baloney some magazine made up, buy you get what I mean. And the reasons _why _I hate a man gorgeous and perfect like him…?

**_I hate show offers. _**

Simple as that, see.

I _hate_ the way he acts as if his _so _much better than everyone else, I _hate_ the way he's such a notorious playboy (which explains why I really don't like Priest…), I _hate_ how his so much better at everything…and most of all, I _hate _how he just _has_ to rub it in on everyone else's face with his _skills _as everyone calls it. I just can't _stand_ why people just melt at his smirk, and I don't understand why everyone has to look up at him like his a god, and as if he's not getting enough attention already.

I just don't understand why he's so popular anyway, and why in the devils Priest has to torture me with those shows about the Karachi's. Probably thinks it's funny to see me suffer probably…

I mean, so _what_ if he was half-Hawaiian? So _what _if he was the hottest guy in the world? So _what _if he's so good at every sport there is in the world?! So _what _if…hey, you're not drooling are you?

And look at me…riding in a taxi heading towards the heartland of Hawaii. I guess I'm going ahead of myself, since I never even _met_ this Karachi guy. But believe me, when I set my mind on something, _nothing_, I tell you, _nothing _could change my mind on _anything_, and I wasn't about to change my mind and give pity to the most unwanted guy in my list of 'people to meet before I die' anytime soon.

"Hey Kagome!" Miroku shook my shoulder _again_, disrupting my rather loud 'conversation' on my cell phone. Didn't his thick head _ever_ absorb that I was actually doing something that might save us from starvation and dehydration?!...guess not…

**_"WHAT?!" _**I yelled, still using my 'game voice' as Miroku calls, and my ears still covered by my hand and my other ear covered by the cell phone. Let me tell you, the person on the other end didn't sound too happy at me getting distracted from the important call I was _supposed_ to be on.

**_"We're here!!!"_** Miroku yelled, also annoyed at the rude response he got for his pesky annoyance.

A huge car horn disrupted my little conversation with Miroku and made both of us jump to the loud sound, causing both of us to bump their head painfully on the car hood. Even now, I could recall how I had hit my head as if I had fallen off a roller coaster ride…ouch…

"Will ya stop yallen?!" the cab driver yelled back at us, though not as loud and held out his over tanned hand, waiting for one of us to pay, and you just know that who's going to pay, right? Miroku answered by getting off the cab first with our small luggage, but not before bumping into me quite unnecessarily. Loser…

I take out some cash I changed from the bank we just came from and immediately get out of the cab and went to start my mission; search and destroy by dashing into the hotel and kill that perverted Priest. Apparently, I find him flirting with the hotel desk clerk who was now as red as maroon. And this was what he was saying;

"Your hair as lustful as the Hawaiian sunset…"-because her hair was as dirty as the sand in the beach.

"…your lips as red as a fresh apple…"-because her lip was cut and blood was all over her lips.

"…and your beautiful skin as warm as the well-bloomed rose…"-because her skin was obviously red from the heavy flirts he was giving her…

Before Miroku could start on his little flirts again, I cut in front of him and cleared my throat, particularly loudly. Miroku glared at me and gave the front desk clerk a lasting smile as I literally had to drag him away with the cuff of his neck. I heard his feet rubbing on the clear marble floor as I kept on dragging him towards the keys I had to snatch from the clerk, who was gripping it rather harshly, probably wanting Priest to stay with her a little bit longer…

"Got that discount there?" I asked the guy I was dragging as we went in to the elevator, him still waving at the girls we passed by. Idiot…

"Sure did…" He said through his perfect smile, trying to show all his perfect white teeth as he smiled when a couple of Hawaiian girls passed by, wearing only bikinis let me just add that right now. They giggled in response but the elevator doors started to close and we were forced to back up.

Priest grumbled like I suspected him to do.

"Awww," I aw'ed, doing the best baby voice I could master which he hated the most, "is the little boy mad?" I pouted to show my complete and utter pity.

He growled.

"Shut up Kag, just shut up…"

I pretended to cry.

**--- **

I didn't know why, but I was in the beach.

Worst of all, I was wearing a skirt. Not just a skirt, but a super short ones they made me used to wear when I was back to school. In fact, I was actually _at_ school.

There were students all over the place, wearing all sorts of uniforms and all kind of races in the pack.

Than suddenly, there was this huge rumble in the earth and suddenly, there was a huge noise of engines starting from somewhere afar.

Than, one by one, motorcycle started to appear all over the place, and I immediately spotted the black Harley Miroku owned.

I ran towards the bike when it hit the ground and I stepped right in front of its track, knowing that Priest would stop no matter what.

But than suddenly, I spotted the _real_ Miroku standing at the crowd, watching me with amusement.

I look back at the motorcycle slowing down in front of me and took a step back as the guy started to step off the still running vehicle.

I took a long breath in as he started to take off his helmet and…

Every girl, every virgin in the crowd screamed in joy

It was _him_.

It was _him_ taking off his helmet, his hair falling from the helmet he tucked it into, his amber eyes that shined with glee, and his _very _well-tanned skin that got every girl to swoon in front of everyone else.

Despicable…

Surprisingly, he didn't response to my odd behavior, and oddly he took a step forward toward me and gave me a wink, making every other girl almost faint.

I was about to yell out a rude comment directed at his odd self over the loud cheering, but the yells and the cat calls he was getting got louder, and louder, and louder and…

_//GNORT// _

Thank god, I woke up by than with a rather rude snort.

I gasped for some breath in and out and tried to get some fresh oxygen into my blood filled brain. I looked down at the pillow on my lap and tried to stop myself before I exploded with anger. Priest…

What was he thinking? Trying to kill me by covering a pillow on top of my face or something? Boy, I was just glad that he wasn't tape recording me when I shot up from the bed with a very odd snort that I made. Like I said before, since I don't use my vocal cords much, I just respond much more _oddly_ than what usually should be. Let's say it's a side effect.

I tried to think as to why in the devils would I _ever_ dream about that Hawaiian dude, when my head was already filled with enough blood to make me think about how I couldn't think. Grr…I can't even say the right thing anymore…

"…and Inuyasha takes the gold!" A loud cheer followed the announcer as some dude in a black suit grabbed the gold trophy cup from the table, still riding on his flame painted motorcycle. I obviously snap my head in the direction of the television set and almost gag at what I see in front of me.

Still hanging my tongue out, I searched for the remote control and immediately turn off the TV, right when the guy takes the helmet off and smirks at the camera, closing in on him.

I sighed to myself and looked around the small apartment to look for the clock. Miroku had chosen a small hotel to stay in while visiting the capital of Hawaii, but in my mind, I just _knew_ that he was in it for the girls.

Anyway, I didn't find any clock, so I reach for he palm pilot to read the time…when I find out that my palm pilot _isn't_ in my back pocket. I frown and dig in deeper, than reached in all of my pockets to still not find my palm pilot. As anyone could have guessed, I panicked. My palm pilot was like my whole world to me, even if it does sound dorky. I mean, every schedule, every appointment, every due date, everything was in my tiny pocket sized palm pilot. So naturally, I search for it in the suitcase. After some few more minutes of 'unpacking', I finally come to a conclusion that it was lost.

Running my hands through my hair, I tried desperately to search my brain to find any clue to my missing palm pilot's whereabouts. Than a light bulb goes off like a firework in the fourth of July and one single name goes off with it as the lights formed into his name.

_Miroku, you dummy! _

Oh he was mine, oh he was so mine. Priest was so going to pay for stealing my palm pilot in the cab. He was going to pay for making me pay for the ride. He was so going to pay for wanting me to get some exercise. He was going to pay for drugging me to sleep. He was so mine.

On instinct, I grabbed my hat and got into my sandals and dashed out of the room, not even checking if my intuition about the drugging thing was correct. Oh, I knew alright…I just knew. He did things like this a lot before we moved from Canada. What, making me get out of the safety confinement of the hotel, making me run around chasing him outdoors, and especially trying to fake that he had no idea what I was talking about when I caught him and tried to hide the fact that he put some sleeping pills in the water I drunk. It was like a daily routine for me.

I picked the staircase instead of the elevators, since it'll probably take a minute to just wait for the cart and another minute to land on the main floor and gave Priest more time to flirt with girls, when in fact; the stairs would take no less than a minute. As my calculations were correct, I madly dashed down the empty staircase and made it out the door in less than under 50 seconds. I could have gone to the Olympic if I wanted, and I guess I could have thanked Miroku for the daily workout, but I had more important things to do. Like make a very important call to the company sponsoring us for the next challenge Priest would have to make a day view for.

I ran instinctively towards the woman Miroku had flirted with earlier in the front desk and got right in her face rather rudely. Hey, I was desperate.

"Can I help you?" she said frowning at my intrusion and looked me up and down, remembering me as the girl that took that _handsome _boy away. No time for that, I told myself.

"Yes, have you seen my brother?" I said, totally forgetting about the fact that Miroku was my _adopted _brother.

The clerk looked at me funnily and her face immediately went from confusion to gladness. Probably relieved that he was still single and I wasn't sleeping with him or anything disgusting like that. Oh please…

"Your brother?" she asked, trying to make sure that he was really still single. I nodded in annoyance.

"Is he here?" I asked quickly, jumping from one foot to the other before I completely blew it and just run out the door.

She blushed at the memory she had gotten when he probably greeted her with another flirt when he was still here. Whatever…

"Actually, he's in the café…" she started with a smile as she got quite more cheerful at her new discovery, but I waved her off and started dashing into the café loudly and rudely. I guess I just lost clerk's acceptance again.

I screeched to a stop when I stepped into the loud café and looked around for the familiar sight of his small ponytail dangling carelessly over his shoulder. Like a gold detector, I immediately pinpoint at the familiar sight of the hentai guy talking to a pack of two girls in bikini and two other guys I didn't pay any attention to. And if I did, I wouldn't have even gotten an inch closer from where I was standing towards Miroku's direction. But been the idiot that I was, I walked towards him. A girl in a tight black bikini saw me first, since she seemed to be ignoring all of what Priest was saying, and pointed towards me to show everyone else that I was approaching them.

This helped me from just banging my hands on the table they were all seated in from pure annoyance.

Priest turned slowly around from his seat and looked me over as if he had been expecting me. This was just like a game for him that made me sick. Of course, wearing a sweater in this kind heat was a bit odd for everyone who were wearing beach clothes instead.

"Hey Kag!" He said cheerfully as if he didn't know what I was going to do to him when we got back to our room. His reaction confused the other people in his little 'gang' who were already ready to leave, even if I wasn't about to pay any attention to them.

"Don't Kag, me," I started, trying to control my temper, though it didn't really help much, "you know why I'm here!" I said, reaching my hand out and waiting plainly for him to hand it over. He took this as a joke.

"Of course I know what you want," He said with this huge grin like he knew something I didn't, "you wanted to meet my friends here, right?" he said getting up and pulling me into the chair beside him. I was just speechless at him failed attempt to make some humor. That **_idiot_**!

"This is my little sister, Kagome, you know, I was just talking about her!"- I _really _didn't want to know what he was talking about, but everyone that started to seat themselves back gave me this sad look that I did _not _need to see twice to understand the situation. He _didn't_…

"You mean, that girl you adopted, right?" This apparently came from a rather sluttish looking girl that was apparently more interested in her nails than me.

**_Adopted?! _**

I turn my body around to look directly at Miroku, who was giving me this laughing look, plainly showing me this score board; Miroku – 1 point…me – 0 point.

…

Apparently, his lip was already into introducing me to everyone else around him.

"-And that lovely girl is Sango-" The girl in the tight black bikini who spotted me first flinched at been called _lovely_…now there's someone I could talk to.

"-and the ever so cunning vixen is Kikyo-" The girl completely ignored the compliment about her beauty. Besides, Miroku didn't even seem to be really telling the truth when he said 'cunning vixen'.

"-and that over there is Kouga the wolf-" I tried to ignore the weird look this wolf guy was giving me who somehow reminded me of Inuyasha in more than bronze and brainless than one ways.

"-and that over there is-" I cut him off before he could finish and poked him hard in the stomach.

_"Priest" _I growled, ignoring the stares I got from the girls and looked at him and his new nickname.

Miroku looked at me, though I knew he was expecting a blow to his head as he flinched at my gaze.

"Eh?"

"If you don't give me my palm pilot this minute, I'll say who's _really_…" I stopped there, not wanting to be figured out and ruin my little scheme. See, Miroku was never the one to accept that he was adopted so he never told anyone else about it and sometimes even told them that _I _was the one adopted and not him. Besides, who would listen to me anyway?

He flinched.

"Oh right, oh right…" He said, pulling out my precious palm pilot out of his short pocket.

I grabbed it and was about to make a quick exit when Miroku started.

"It's rude not to say good bye" he teased. Like he knew anything about politeness…

I turned anyway and was about to open my mouth to oblige his command in a very short and quiet good bye…when I saw _him_ just sitting there…staring at me.

It was him alright, watching me with curiosity, his facial features covered by a hat but his hair gave it all away and just sat there staring at me sitting beside Kouga who was also looking as if he wanted me to stay.

I did the first thing I could think of.

I screamed.

_"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" _

Second-

I ran.

As I ran towards the nearest exit, I heard this little conversation thing from his lips as his first meeting with mine.

"What was _that_ all about?"

"Nothing," I could just see Miroku smile his toothy smile, "she just hates you, that's all…"

_Darn right you are… _

**AN:** -Gasp- I finally finished this page! Whew, well at least I got it done, anyway, expect the chapter about…a week from today maybe?

And remember to **_review!!!_**


	3. Superstitious or Just Plain Crazy?

**AN: **Sorry for not updating so soon! Really, I got caught up with the usual author's block _and_ little bit of a family crisis which you can learn about in my bio…anyways, if you're interested in a pic for this story, like Kagome on Miroku's motorcycle yelling _'Slow down!'_ and Miroku yelling _'Speed up? Okay!'_, than you should go ask warriorGL or just go to warriorGL over-the-rainbow . com and ask _nicely _for a pic, okay? It should be really good, since I've seen some of the pics she's already drawn, and I must say, they're _adorable!!! _

Okay, now onto the fic!

**Get A Life! **

_Chapter Three: Superstitious or Just Plain Crazy? _

By Snowgirl AKA Sasari

I couldn't sleep.

I haven't gotten out of my room since my little get-together with Miroku's friends in the café. I was still typing, my eyes glued to the screen, and my back hunched over in a perfect mountain and my eyes twitched every minute or so. As you can probably have guessed, I had been typing away non-stop after that little escapade since you could tell with my eyes red and the lights weren't on, leaving the computer screen the only source of light.

I had no idea where Miroku was…probably with his 'friends' doing some 'Richter' or something…I wasn't the one that used Hawaiian accent. But the fact that Miroku knew or should I say, hangs out with that guy still got my skin crawling. I mean, how long have Miroku known Inuyasha? How did he ever meet Inuyasha? Why did he…okay, now I have to stop thinking about him if I ever want to go back to sanity.

After some more punching and stabbing at the keys, my mind screams for more espresso, so naturally, I lean back in the cheap wooden chair and grab that Styrofoam cup and sip some to recharge my buzzed up brain…only to hear me slurp without any liquid.

Lady luck just _loves _to play with my mind…literally.

You know those times when you need to finish a project and can't find any pair of scissors or when your black pen runs out of ink? Yeah well, this is just like it…except mine was more like six page paper on the last winning due next week for a commercial advertisement and I needed some espresso fast for my eyes to stay open, _badly_. And I was _not_ about to start using toothpicks to keep my eyes open.

Sighing a bit, I get up grudgingly and trudge away from my dear little computer to the cruel world out of my confinements of the small room. As soon as the door opens, it feels like I was surrounded by police lights, alarms going off and guns going off from everywhere…but watching the police camera special for the last two hours before I started typing could do weird things to your already screwed up brain anyway.

This time I use the elevator for obvious reasons and wait patiently as that annoying ukulele music starts up from speakers. My eyebrow goes up. They got a decent marble floor, well-polished oak doors to each room, yet they just have to use those annoying music instead of more…musical ones? Some things never change if you ask me…

The elevator made the usual little ding as it finally reached ground level and the door opened to reveal me in my pink and blue pajama with little white cloud cats flying around. What a decent picture for my brother to laugh at.

Walking on my turquoise feathered slippers, I make my way through the deserted hallway and every step I take makes that creepy echo that bounces off every wall. I half expect an ax-man to come out from the next corner, but that's also what I get after watching _The Night of the Living Hell_ after the police special for another two hours.

Yawning, I tiredly go into the café with my cup, and you could almost imagine a fat man in my place scratching his ass as I bent down and press on refill on the coffee maker…of course, I hadn't really expected anyone to really point that out, since I was sure that I was alone in the huge room and everyone else was in slumber land, with the exception of my brother and his little gang.

"You know, you don't look much of a night person." An annoying sing-song voice pipes up, probably thinking that I already knew that person was there.

Very wrong.

I squeak and I trip on the somehow already polished floor and land on my back, my head pounding off my neck. Somehow, I just knew Lady Luck was laughing at me right this moment.

"…ow…" was my only response.

While I was rubbing my forehead, I heard some light footsteps coming directly to my direction so I obviously look up instinctively, only to see…green. Not just any green, but…well really green, like a pair of lily pad in a moss infested pond, shining lustfully. I mean if I wasn't already dazed with all the lights in the café, I would have noticed the brown pigtails and the cut lips.

"You okay?" The girl asked raising her eyebrow, which made her facial look a bit weird because her eyebrow was a bit thicker and shorter that made it a bit abnormal. That's when I noticed the tag on her chest.

And my oh-so-intelligent response was, "D-did I forget t-to pay for t-the room…?" Now that would have been your response too if you were half drunk with caffeine, four hours of loud screaming people stuck in your head, still blinded by the blight lights and looking up at the desk clerk my brother had previously flirted with. Just the situation I _loved_ and wanted to be in.

I swear the girl sweat dropped very anime-like.

"Err…no, but you _are_ ruining the floor I just polished."

"…Oh…" So I try to get up, obviously.

The girl looking down at me offers a hand which I take gratefully and wobble up to my feet. Nice girl really. Steadying myself by one of the chairs put up on the desk, I try to adjust my eyes to the blight lights. That's what happens when you stay in the room without any lights on for a _long _time.

"Awww…can't…see…" That was my oh-so-intelligent response.

I thought of how Miroku was really going to enjoy this when he saw me.

Speaking of Miroku…

"You okay there?" The green-eyed girl asked with a hint of sarcasm in her voice that made me whip my head. I guess she still wasn't exactly fond of me after how I treated her during the last couple of times we met.

"Err…yeah, I'm fine…listen, have you seen anyone in…particular?" I asked, not exactly wanting her to think I actually cared about that hentai.

"As in…" She waited for any description, raising her abnormally shaped eyebrows once again.

"You know…a perverted priest kind of guy that likes to touch any female body part and uses his own body parts to lure in unknown girls into his mist of hentai love and…" I kept on going, but I just couldn't get my eyes off of her eyebrows. It wasn't polite, I know that, but it was just so…so…_weird_. I mean, the only eyebrows you would see like that would be in some old kabuki show back in Tokyo that has weird actors to do the plays. Don't get me wrong, I'm not exactly one to judge people by their looks, but it kind of gave me a weird déjà vu…

_She_, on the other hand, just got plain annoyed at my staring.

"Look, when you ask someone a question, you _don't _stare back at their eyebrows…especially their sadly disfigured parts…" She added the last part after twitching from the nerve that popped from her forehead. She may be a nice girl, but she sure was a stubborn one. Kind of reminds me of someone…

"Err…sorry…I was just wondering if you've seen Miroku or if I should ask if you eyebrows were just like that." I said closing my eyes in haste and smiling my most innocent smile I could master.

I heard an annoyed sigh.

"No, my eyebrows were not like this from the start, and no, I don't know where your brother is as I'm guessing from your description and why would I even know where your hentai brother is?"

I opened my eyes in pure shock and saw her running her hand in her thick brown hair.

"Oh…than what happened to your eyebrows and yes, the pervert I described _is _my brother and how…I mean why…the hentai thing…" I just got really confused now.

She shook her head and sat on the table she was resting on, swinging her legs like a child about to jump.

"Well…my eyebrows weren't exactly like this when I first came here…for a job I mean. You see…my family has a lot of kids and I was the oldest and my parents died after they had their last child, my little sister, so we had to move to my grandpa's place. But of course, we were just too much for him so he sent me here since this place is run by my uncle's friend. My hair caught in a grease fire accident. It's also my job to be _nice _to the vacationer around here, so I just pretended that I actually liked your brother's flirts. Any more questions?" She frowned after she realized something.

"Okay…I wasn't supposed to say that much…"

…I guess I'm a good revealer or something…

"Oh…well, now that I know why your face is like that, can I ask how you knew hentai?"

"What do you mean?" She asked as she snapped out of her little daze.

"I mean, hentai is a Japanese word…and you sure don't exactly look Japanese…" Looking her up and down, the violet flower on her hair, the brown thick strings of hair, and her skin and not to mention her eyes, she sure looked like a gaijin.

She gave me a surprising smile.

"I guess all that help my grandpa gave me with learning foreign language help, eh? Oh, and by the way…why _did _you think the ecchi would be with me?"

Another shock their.

"Well…my chikan of a brother kind of likes to hang around pretty girls…so I just thought that he might be…"

**(AN:** _Ecchi_ and _chikan_ also means perverted in a more rude way and _gaijin_ means foreigner. That's the word of the day! **-) **

The girl raised her eyebrow again, giving me a weird look non-the less.

"You saying I'm pretty?" I swear she looked like a big puppy dog right than and there.

What was I suppose to say?

That I was just mistaking and had worse tastes than Miroku and get pummeled up by this girl who obviously had enough exercise from the past god knows years working in this hotel?

I did the obvious thing I could think of.

"Err…yes?" It was more like a question, but I guess she accepted that anyways.

The girl let out a short laugh.

"Never mind, say, what's your name anyways? Mines Ayame." The now identified girl jumped off the table and put up her hand, grinning widely. I would have been scared if I wasn't such a naïve person.

"Err…I'm Kagome, Higurashi Kagome."

Maybe I shouldn't have said that since I knew how people treated Miroku and I like when I suddenly slip up my last name, but I was too absorbed into what Ayame had just said about her family. Man, she had a harder life than anyone I ever met…which was what, couple people.

The girl's eyes widened in disbelief and she dropped her hand instantaneously.

"I knew your brother looked familiar…" She whispered, talking more to herself and completely forgetting that I was here.

Yup, that's exactly the response I expected.

"Err…Ayame, right? Hello-?" I asked, waving my hands in front of her face. She blinked and looked at me as if I had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

"What?...Oh, yeah, err…listen, if you need anything, just, you know, call okay? I mean, I didn't know a celebrity would actually be staying here, and well I was never out much so I guess I hadn't recognized you, I'm really sorry, if I've been bothering you-"

-And she just kept on going and going and going and-

…it was like that battery commercial, you know, when the energizer keeps on going and going endlessly and that was exactly how she was acting. Psycho babble let me tell you now.

"Excuse-"

"-so you would no where I am and the laundry rooms around that corner but if you need anyone to do it for you than-"

"It's really-"

"-unless you would feel safe to have guards do it for you and you know what? I should call them right now, since there are a lot of rabid-fan girls around here and you wouldn't want to be bothered right? Yeah, I'll call for them right now." Right on her words, she turned around and headed for the phone booth only to get choked on my desperate clutches to stop her from calling an army or whatever.

"_No! _I mean…don't, please…" I gasped, remembering what happened the last time we hired some guards.

"Wh-wha-why?" She choked out, still stifled by my grips on her neck.

Oops.

I quickly let her go but I was still cautious if she was going to run for the nearest phone so stepped right in front of her, blocking her exit.

"Do you really want to know?"

She glanced behind me just incase I was up to something and looked back. She was trapped.

She sighed in surrender.

"Sure" She sighed.

**--- **

Usually, I would always be the one to choke on words or search through my mind to find the right words, but fate seemed to turn the table around. This time, _I _was the one telling stories, _I _was the one making others excited, _I _was the one getting others attention…and it felt good. For some odd reason, we somehow moved from the 'Soldiers of black cats' as Ayame called it, and somehow moved on to this little discussion-

"So anyway, I had this umbrella in my hand and a rotten sandwich in my other-"

"Wait, what about Miroku?"

"Oh him? He ran off somewhere between waiting for the cats to cross the street and the ladder falling part, but anyways, there I was in the lobby with the PB&J sandwich and this drunk guy tries to get some quick cash off of a defenseless little girl so-"

"You shoved the umbrella down his throat?" Man, she was really liking this.

"Actually, I shoved the disgusting sandwich down his throat and opened up the umbrella in his face and ran outside into the rain."

Ayame gasped.

"Yeah, I was stupid enough to leave my umbrella behind…I was soaked when I got back to my traveling truck."

Ayame hit her forehead with her hand. Did I miss something?

"No, I mean you opened your umbrella _indoors?!" _

"Yeah"

"_Indoors?" _

"Err…yeah?"

She groaned.

"Did I miss something here?"

"Okay so let me get this straight." She sat up and put up her fingers, counting something off.

"First, the guard makes you wait for the black cat to walk by, even if there were fan girls chasing you since he was a cat lover…" I nodded in response.

"Second, the ladder is up and you slide below it to escape them…" I could see she was getting more annoyed yet afraid.

"Well…we did fire the guard after we got back, if that would make you feel better…" It obviously didn't.

"Listen, was there any…I don't know, unusual stuff going on after that? Like any bad ordeals or something?"

I didn't get what she was saying.

"Huh?"

"You know…broken bones?" She leaned in, waiting for something to come out of my mouth.

"Err…not that I remember of…"

She raised her eyebrows.

"…except maybe like him falling into the ocean a week later and had gone missing for five days and was found in a female infested island later in a dress?"

She nodded excitedly.

"Yeah, anything bad happen to you?"

"Duh! I had to type up all these forms of why he got missing and junk and all those publicities I had to cover up…man, it was a nightmare."

"Aha!" Ayame yelled in triumphant.

"…I obviously missed something here…"

Ayame eyed me suspiciously.

"It's so obvious!"

Again, I missed something here.

"What I mean is, bad luck does happen when you do stuff like…like…I don't know, like what you did!"

"What did I do?" I demanded.

"You know, walking under ladders-"

"I _slid_ under the ladder!"

"-Black cats crossing before you-"

"We waited for it to!"

"-Opening umbrellas inside-"

"That move saved me some money, girl!"

Ayame only sighed, totally ignoring my raging form.

"Let me tell you, there's going to be one more incident after another with you around here." She smiled a sad smile.

"And what does _that _mean?" I was getting more annoyed by the minute.

She grinned, which kind of scared me.

"You'll see…" Than, as if she had never had this conversation with me, started to leave saying-

"You should go to sleep now…it's already two in the morning."

-And left.

Like what she said would actually get any response…

Wait, did she say two in the morning?  
Oh crap, I didn't even finish my type up…

**--- **

I yawned out loud, not bothering to cover up my mouth and getting a rather rude looks from the people eating around me.

Hey, would _you _be energetic if you had to stay up until five in the morning typing up some damn paper and sleeping in, only to miss breakfast which is like the most important meal of the day? I don't think so.

Now here I was in the same café me and Ayame was some hours ago balancing some peas on my metal fork. Superstitious my ass. I knew if Ayame saw me she would have choked or something but c'mon, what could possibly happen?

I mean I know I did have some problems after we found Miroku in the Virgin Islands, but that could have just been an honest coincident. I mean, sure I had a lot of paperwork after that, and sure I got some trouble with my blood pressure, but oh come now…luck got nothing to do with this! And there could be a really good reason why Miroku hadn't come back yet, even if it was 24 hours ago when I last saw him.

Okay, for some reason, I wasn't good at comforting myself at all.

I just groaned.

Maybe lunch with macaroni and cheese wasn't good after all.

So naturally, I got up from my table and took the tray with me, but here's the weird part. When I was dumping the tray, I saw Ayame talking with a panicked expression with that same girl Miroku had his eyes on. What was her name again? Sato? Sango? I wasn't good at names anyways. So when I was leaving the café, Ayame spotted me immediately and grabbed a hold of my arm, causing me to almost fall on top of her.

"Hey!" I yelled as I did a crazy dance to avoid tripping over her.

"Kagome! There's something you should know…" The surprising thing was Ayame said this in Japanese like last night so no one else would hear what she wanted to say.

"What?"

"Miroku's friend came over and…" Ayame bit her lip, a bit scared of what might happen if she said it out too loud.

"And?"

I waited for a couple more minutes than surprisingly the other girl burst out, in Japanese for that matter.

"Your brother fell off the board doing some Richter." This 'Sango' girl said it as casually as possible, but I could see in her eyes that she was petrified even in her tight swimsuit.

Now I didn't know what Richter was, but somehow the word _brother_ and _falling_ just didn't match well in my head.

I could just see Ayame's head shake in a knowing sadness.

I guess I was going to have to listen to her more often than not from now on…huh?

**AN: **No, Miroku is not dead, but he did get in some minor problems so don't kill me and also please wait for the next chapter. I'm going on this very boring trip up to the mountains or wherever during the winter break, so obviously I can't update, but don't worry, I got everything under control and planned out, so I'll update right after Christmas break, deal? -

**_I still love reviews! _-**_Hint, hint_**-** **-**_Nudge, nudge_**- **


	4. It All Started With A Wipe Out

**AN: **I'm back from the de-ad!!! Actually, I just finally found some time to start on this fic…lousy, good-for-nothing-devils (AKA, formally known as 'homework')…anyway, where was I? Oh yes, sorry for the _really _slow updation and enjoy the fic! Omoshiroku yonde kudasai! .

**- **

It's like they say, everything happens for a reason, and Lady Luck holds all your luck. Of course, in my case, everything happens for a very lousy reason, and Lady Luck plays with my luck as if she was a toddler with a rubber ducky in bath in the middle of July. Sure every single girl around wishes that they were the ones who had the job to follow the most handsome guy around, and sure anyone sane would want this job by how much money it pays off and I'm sure that anyone that ever saw the amount would just faint by the pure bliss of the green piece of paper with their eyes shaped like dollar signs. I could just imagine the winged-moneys flying around them.

Well guess what?

Chasing a guy around knowing that he's your adopted brother and been held all the responsibility to control all the money bag given to me _**sucks**_. Believe me, if it wasn't for that one promise I made with my family, I would have gladly given up my job and went back to Tokyo. But alas, my family is counting on me, ya know?

Okay, so here I was in the cab with a girl who was forced to be a desk clerk and had her eyebrows shaven off – I mean had her eyebrows _accidentally_ burn off and singing every country song you could think of every five minutes, and a total stranger on my other side who looks as if she had just came out of the horror movie. The hot pink eye shadow that brightened her magenta eyes and her choice of all black on her clothes didn't really brighten her personality much.

Why am I even here?

Because of my brother of course. Now, I may not know what Sano or Sango meant when she said 'He wiped out totally from a fringing Richter', but I sure know that it's not a good thing.

Now here I am in a cab with this sing-along desk clerk and a black stranger, on our way to the hospital with me having no idea what just happened. Oh yes, I just lo-ove my job…

Can't you tell?

**Get A Life! **

_Chapter Four: It All Started With A Wipe Out _

By Snowgirl AKA Sasari

I never once had a cold in my life. No, I'm not kidding and I'm still waiting for that ominous chicken pox that usually happens to everyone during their childhood. So why in the world do I always end up in the hospital even if I'm always in my most tip-top shape? Three guesses, I dare you.

_"Miroku!_ You are such an **idiot**!"

I guess that just about sums up my situation here, and the funny thing is, I'm not angry at all.

_"_What is _wrong_ with you_?!" _

Really I'm not.

"But Sango, you were so close, and I just woke up and well…what was I suppose to do but to follow my instinct and grab your-" The next thing I heard was some splashing sound and a loud 'bonk' from the inside of the hospital room, and here I was sitting patiently outside of all the mayhem, eating some strawberry Pocky. Everyone needs a comfort food once in awhile. There was Ayame still humming to the tune 'The Perfect Moment', but that was an exception.

I frowned when I realized that everything went silent after that loud 'bonk' in the white room.

"I wonder what's wrong…" I thought out loud, more of wanting that annoying hum to stop and for Ayame to answer, but the humming just got louder.

I turned my head to see her still humming rather annoyingly. She snapped her eyes open when I cleared my throat loudly, but still continued. I raised my eyebrows.

"Hmm, what? Hmm…hmm" She asked between her very annoying hums.

"Why are you, oh I don't know, stophumming?" I asked, more of a suggestion than a question.

Ayame just shrugged her shoulders.

"Just practicing I guess…hum…"

"Practicing? For what?" I asked as I raised my eyebrows.

"I have to practice if I want to be a singer…hum…"

I wouldn't have been able to answer her even if Sango didn't come out of the room with a very large looking vase in hand and I could see a distinct crack on the surface. This definitely did not bold well…for Miroku, I mean.

She grumbled something as she lowered the vase beside her and sat down on one of the chairs in front of the hallway. I could see that she was already pissed, so I didn't bother ask what was wrong.

"I guess…it's my turn…"

I could just feel her cold stare as I stood up and started to go into the hospital room. She was still staring even when I was fumbling with the door knob with the sweat that had somehow formed on my hand. "Err…excuse me?" She still kept on giving me this cold stare. My nerves reached the top and I swear I was getting really annoyed, what with Ayame singing now, yes, singing, not humming, to the tune of 'Yura, Yura', and getting some weird stares from the patients passing by and what with how Sango was eyeing me was making me even more quizzy.

"What?! Do I have a booger in my nose or something?!"

Sango backed up in her chair with an eyebrow raised, and believe me, it would have been a very comical pose for her if I wasn't annoyed right than. To my surprise and relief, she giggled which is a good sign for me.

"No…no, it's just…you better watch out for his hands…" Her amused look disappeared as a very dark look replaced her background.

"Err…why's that?"

"He might grope you…"

Now _that _was a shocker. Miroku, grope? I mean, I knew he liked to flirt, but I meant c'mon! Groping isn't exactly a good marking for a jock…

"Err…my brother? Grope? I don't think so…and besides, even if he does grope, which I seriously doubt, I'm his sis-I mean 'adopted' sister, remember?" I asked, trying to sound as sarcastic as possible. I saw Sango pause for a second before taking in the detail.

"Oh yeah-…but still, you better warn your…friend…there." She said, nodding her head towards Ayame's direction, who was already causing a raucous from her _very _loud singing.

"Umm…yeah, but…did he really grope you?" I asked trying to ignore the human juke box. Sango distinctly nodded. "Yeah, why? Is it a new thing for him now?" She asked sarcastically, showing that she really doubted what she had just said.

"Probably…" I mumbled, trying to think of a practical reason for this weird assumption.

"What?"

"I mean, I know my 'brother' flirt with girls a _lot_, but I never once, in my entire life, saw him grope _anyone…_he must really like you…"

Sango gave me a disgusted look.

"No way!...I must have a big butt or something…"

"Err…" I didn't know what to say to that, since I couldn't decide if it was her low self-esteem or if she just loved her body too much, but by how she looked a little bummed out and seemed to pout, I chose the first reason over the second.

"I-I'm sure he just…likes you…yeah…"

She just shook her head and nodded to Ayame's direction.

"Was she ever groped by him?" I would have asked her to ask Ayame herself, but by how Ayame seemed to be preoccupied, I guess she had a good reason to ask me instead of her.

"I…don't think so…I think they only met when Ayame was behind the front desk, so even Miroku _wanted _to grope her, he wouldn't have been able to do just that." There was a moment's silence, excluding Ayame's singing which scared away all the passerby, thinking that she was a nut or something, before I decided to break it.

"Well, I'm going in…" I said as I began to turn the knob to the side. But than I snapped my head back and brought my other hand up to my forehead, saluting to the both of them. "Wish me luck for the ownership of my virginity, captain!" I swear the look they both gave me was hilarious before they started to burst out laughing hysterically. Of course, it got louder when I fiddled with the door knob for second, but I got in, rather embarrassingly.

"Sango, I - !" Was the first thing Miroku said as I came in, obviously thinking that it was Sango and not me. After some staring he replied in this really dull tone and looked away. "Oh…it's you." Was his oh-so-caring response.

"Glad to know that you cared, Priest." I shut the door closed and made sure that no one was listening.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked as he saw me lean my head on the door and listening for something.

"Just wanted to make sure…you really like her don't you?" I asked as I began to make my way to the chair next to the bed he was in. He just smirked.

"Is it so obvious?"

"It is if you grope her."

Miroku sighed, an obvious annoyed tone to it. "She told you, didn't she?"

I nodded. "I didn't know you were so forward, Miroku." I said smirking. Now I knew that he didn't do it purposely or whatever, but it was just so funny seeing the huge bump on his head.

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but I didn't do it on purpose. I just woke up with her butt in front of my face."

I frowned.

"Why in the world would she be in that position?"

"Don't ask me, she could have been arranging the flowers or something." He said in a bored tone. I remembered the vase and saw the mark on the wooden desk on the other side of his bed where the vase could have been before she…did the-you-know-what to you-know-who. Obviously, pure reflex proves science that the first thing you see is the first thing you grab and hit with if anyone touches you in the most unwanted spots. That's when I noticed his left hand. It was covered in a purple cast.

Miroku looked back as he heard the loud clearing of my throat. "What?"

I led my eyes to his cast. "Explain?" It was more of a command than a question, but I said it slowly as if he was a child. He sighed nonetheless.

"Look, it was only for fun."

"Fun?"

"Yeah, I mean, the waves were huge, man!"

It wasn't what I wanted him to explain, but I got sidetracked anyway.

"Wait a minute, you know how to surf?"

The silence was enough to tell me 'no'.

"You are such a moron…"

"Hey! I needed practice if I was ever challenged to surf the Atlantic Ocean or something!" He defended.

"In the dark? At night?"

"I could be challenged to surf at night in the Pacific Ocean!"

I shook my head with a very sarcastic look on my face.

"Glad to see you care about your job for once, but in other words, you mean you didn't want to chicken out in front of the guys, now did you?"

"Well actually, Inuyasha challenged me for who could surf the-"

"It's a good thing we're taking a vacation…where are the guys anyways?" I cut his sentence short, not wanting to hear about that guy. In my mind, I had already written his name five times on my mental list of 'To-kill', and he had just made his sixth time.

He shrugged.

"Probably in their beach house or something. They already visited."

"Well at least you answered my question last question…"

"What do you mean by that?" He retorted.

"I mean, you still didn't explain about _that_!" I said as I pointed at the purple cast on his left hand.

"What do you mean? I already explained to you about why-?

"But _why_?"

"Huh?" He asked dumbfounded.

"Why in the world do you have a _purple _cast?"

He widened his eyes.

"Ohhhh- that…I don't know, I just like purple, didn't you know that?" He asked, as if it was obvious.

"…let me guess, you had your ways with the nurse, huh?" I asked sarcastically.

"Actually, the surgeon was a woman. And if you excuse me, would you step outside, since it's about time for the nurse to bring some lunch." He said as right on cue, the nurse came in with a tray full of pies. Yeah, you heard me right, pies.

"Oh…fine, whatever…" I said as I made my way out of the room. As I stepped out of the room, I heard Miroku shout "Give my best love to Sango!", and the nurse ask in a rather rejected tone, "Who's Sango". Yup, that was Miroku all right, his bone broken, but his spirit too high up for any damage at all. Darn him.

When I stepped out, the two girls were already in a deep conversation and I heard bits and pieces about songs and future careers before I got fid up with it.

"Listen, are you guys hungry? Because I sure am." I asked, but to no avail, they just ignored me.

"So you want to be a singer?" Sango asked.

"Yeah, I mean, I always did like singing and all." Ayame also ignored and replied.

I sighed. "Fine, it's on me."

"Are you hungry, cause I sure am." Sango immediately piped up.

"Yeah, me too!" Ayame followed along.

I sighed. Does it seem to anyone else that I'm used too often?

**--- **

"So you guys met on the internet?" I asked as I chewed on my coconut pie. Sure hospital food could sometime be a bit crappy, but this pie thing sure beat any food I ever tasted. Sango nodded as she gulped down some pumpkin pie.

"Yeah, it was some sport network, I don't really remember."

"So how are you associated to this?" Ayame, for once didn't sing, and asked with a mouthful of strawberry pie.

"I'm Inuyasha's beautiful assistant." Sango said doing a very dramatic, glamorous pose. The only response she got was our dumbfounded looks. "Okay, okay, I'm his partner in other words." We hummed in agreement.

"How long have you guys known each other?" I really needed to know if Miroku had just contacted that daredevil for a practical joke, or if he had really somehow outsmarted my security policy with the competitors and slipped through my fingers without me realizing it.

"Oh, we've know each other since his first challenge." In other words, for years.

"Who's the other guys, then?" Ayame asked while I was trying to absorb what Sango had just said.

"Umm, you haven't met anyone else yet, have you? Well, there is Kikyo, who kind of looks like Kagome. She's just a rich daddy's girl really; she just likes to follow Inuyasha around. She really doesn't like any girl close to him, including me. There's Kouga, he's Inuyasha's number one rival, but they do get along really well…though they'll never admitted."

"Cool, so you guys-"

"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaa- there she is! That means Miroku's here too!"

You know what I hate about girlish girls? Every time I here that familiar scream, I know that somehow, I just blown my cover. So we all turned around in our seats to see who had cut out Ayame's sentence, to see some rabid fan girls, and I swear, they were one of the wildest fan girls I had ever seen. I mean those make-ups with those Hawaiian mini-skirts? Hmm…

"Oh crud." I muttered as the girls pointed towards me, screamed, got into a huddle, screamed, and raced to the staircase, all the while screaming. Sango, who knew about show business and the important consequences of what might happen when you blow your cover, sighed.

"Who're they?"

I turned to Ayame and looked at her as if it was so obvious. She met my wide-eyed stare. "What-?! It's my first time with some celebrity!" She pouted. You know, I would have gotten the hint that this had something to do with her loud humming, but I was obviously too caught up in the moment to notice. Besides, what would _you _do if there were rabid fan girls that was surely going to ruin your already bad vacation, running loose in the hospital for goodness's sake?!

**--- **

"You got to help me!"

"How am I suppose to help you when I'm not even there?!"

"But they're going to tear the whole place down if we don't get out of here-!"

Sure, call me a baby if you'd like, but would there be any better way when some rabid fan girls are forcing themselves into the apartment? It was hard enough getting out of the hospital, but it was hard enough getting out of the hotel when the fan girls found out where we were staying a week later. I mean seriously, is there some sort of a fan girl black market that sell information or something?!

"Okay, you'll have to choose thought…" Sango muttered on the other line on my cell phone.

"What do you mean…AHHHH!" I screamed as I paced myself and looked out the window.

"What are you screaming about?!"

"The fan girls! They got inside the apartment! I saw them from the window! They spotted me! WE'RE DOOMED!!!"

"Calm yourself woman!"

"Doomed I tell you! Doomed!!!"

"Okay, when you get out of their, you can come over to my place!"

"…But…isn't that where you other friends are staying too?"

"Do you honestly care right now?!"

"…"

"Good, I'll be waiting at noon."

"Wait a sec, _how _am I suppose to…" There was a loud beep as the line went dead. "Hello?"

"You are out of battery. Please recharge. You are out of battery. Please recharge." The same thing repeated over and over again.

"Oh crap!"

"Something wrong?" Miroku asked from the bed he was sitting on with a bored look. I immediately turned on him.

"This is all your fault!"

" Battery dead?" Miroku ignored my outburst.

"If you hadn't broken your wrest, we would have never been in this situation to begin with!"

"Why don't you just use the hotel telephone?" He said as he pointed towards the yellow receiver on the nightstand.

"Are you kidding me?! It might be bugged!"

"Oh now that's just-"

"MIROKU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" Me and Miroku screamed as a loud bang came from outside our room door and as if it was an explosion, a loud scream echoed from the hallway. After I realized what just happened, I turned on Miroku with a skeptical look.

"Did you just…scream?"

Miroku frowned at me.

"I have no idea what you're talking-"

"Hi guys!" An anonymous voice broke in.

"SHIT!!!" Miroku swore as he fell from the bed and I tripped on the carpet. I heard a light snicker as I got up grudgingly.

"I didn't scare you, now did I?" It was Ayame.

Miroku and I both stared at her blankly before we both exploded with questions.

"Whoa, whoa! Slow down, I can only take one question at a time!" Ayame backed up with her hands shielded before her.

"How the hell did you get in here?!" We both shouted in unison.

"Oh, you didn't know about the secret entrance in the closet? I've been working here long enough to find out that this place once used to be a fun house!" She answered rather cheerfully. We just stared blankly at her. Fun house? Secret entrance in the closet?

"What do you guys do at night?" I heard Miroku mumble in fear.

"Oh just pack up and let's get moving! My boss didn't send me to talk to you guys and he won't be happy if he finds out that the fan girls are still in his hotel. Now chop, chop!" She cried like a mother and clapped, practically enjoying all the power she held before us. Obeying, we picked up our already packed up belongings and quickly followed her to the closet. I noticed a slight opening from the back wall as some lights cracked through the opening. I was getting a bad headache.

"Okay, now follow me." She whispered as we squeezed through the narrow opening of the secret entrance and tip-toed through the concrete hallway. Halfway through the maze, I heard a loud bang from the room we were in. Obviously the girls were so desperate that they didn't care if they would have to pay for the collapsed door.

"Ayame!" I whispered urgently.

"What?!" She whispered back, obviously also hearing the bang and ignoring the flickering lights above her, which made everything else even more ominous.

"Did you close the spinning door to the secret entrance?"

"What? I though you did!"

"…"

"Eek! I found a secret entrance in the closet guys!"

As we heard the chattering screams from behind us, we all started to run, not caring if we scraped our elbows on the narrow walls.

"Don't stop until we're outside!" Miroku yelled and on cue there were more screams and more loud footsteps hot on our trail. Bad move for Miroku, since his voice just confirmed that rabid fan girls that we were in the secret entrance.

"C'mon! This way!" Ayame yelled as I spotted a small light from far into the cave-like hallway. This was just like that escape scene from those survival movies where there was a small circle of light in the darkness and that was the escape, but when you step out, you fall into a waterfall or something. I just hope it's nothing like that.

Just as we were closing in on the small opening, I noticed that ground was getting softer and when I looked down, I noticed that as we were slowly closing in on the opening, the concrete floor was slowly getting covered by sands.

"Ayame!" I yelled as I panted since I was holding most of the luggage and she had none.

"What?!" She yelled just a step ahead of me.

"Where does this lead us to?!"

"I think the beach!"

"What?!" Miroku and I both yelled.

"Stop complaining…THEY'RE GAINING ON US!" She yelled. I turned my head around and true to her words; I could just make out the figures of some girls dashing madly behind us, yelling 'My love' and other stuff like that.

"Kami help us…" I muttered.

"We're getting closer!" As she yelled this, the whole place suddenly exploded with light and I was forced to squint since my eyes had already adjusted to the darkness.

"Quick! The van's over there!" Miroku yelled whose eyes had already adjusted to the sun a bit quicker than mine and pointed towards the sport's van we had parked a little way towards the street. Not caring how the sand was getting into my sandals, we dashed head on passed the oncoming traffic and ignored the yells and shouts from the people on the beach, all the while hearing the same screams from the rabid fan girls, who was _still _following us.

As was headed towards the van, a car drove right passed us, almost driving passed my feet if I hadn't stepped back out of pure instinct.

"Watch it bud!" Ayame yelled and we ignored the red light as we crossed the street. I heard some car horns and the girls behind us shout for Miroku but we barely made it towards the van with our necks. Running down the street towards the van, the screams subsided and we literally dived towards the van, throwing our luggage in first. Without question I threw myself on the driver's seat and Miroku dived onto the couch, puffing and panting. No challenge was ever more dramatic than a getaway from his fans.

As I started to start the engine, Ayame instead begin to open the van door.

"What are you doing?! We're leaving!" I shouted through the loud engine.

"No, you guys are, not me! I work here remember? I only led you to safety!" She replied stubbornly and closed the door behind her, not even saying a good bye.

"But-" Before I could call for her back, I heard a loud scream and the same Ayame barged into the van again, banging it close and leaned on the door, puffing and panting.

"-The rabid fan girls are still out there…" I continued.

"I noticed that." Ayame gasped, but than started to whine. "What am I suppose to do?! I still have to work!" But before she can whine more, I turned a dangerous V-turn in the narrow space between the buildings and caused her and Miroku to literally fly throughout the van.

"What are you doing?!"

"Out of my way!!!"

You notice that I got the crazy drive technique from Miroku, right?

"Kagome!" Ayame whined. "What about the hotel!"

"Forget it." I heard Miroku sigh and saw him through the rearview mirror smirk, and make himself even more comfortable on the couch. "I think you're stuck with us, babe."

Seeing the look on Ayame's face, I made another V-turn again to throw Miroku off the couch. Ayame mouthed a thank you after she got up from under the fruit basket.

This was going to be one crazy vacation…

…

…not that it already wasn't…

**AN: **Well, here it is, not much to say except I have to work on 'Street Rat' now. Oh and by the way, if you liked this chapter, you'll like the next chapter even more. I think the title's going to be 'Tis the Season to Pull Pranks' or something, but basically in the line of revenge. ;) This is going to be good…mwahahahaha!

P.S There'll be some Kagome/Inuyasha fluff in the later chapters, I'm working on it! The first fic I did 'Thou Shall Not Hate Winter' was a bit…forward…since Inuyasha obviously had a thing for her from the very first time they met, so I think I'll take this as slow and steady as I can…but than again, I'm not exactly a patient person myself….'''


	5. Sweet Toothed For Revenge

**AN: **Sorry for the slow update and thanks to _warriorGL _for the pic! It's so cute!!! . Anyway, onto the fic!

**- **

Have you ever had this feeling of total guilt? You know, when you do something for your own convenience and then afterwards you find out that since you were only thinking about your self, something bad happens to one of your innocent friends. Like you need help for a test because if you fail then you'll be kicked off the volleyball team so you ask your friend for help, but you just don't get it. So your friend hangs on a rope by the classroom window and waves the answers to the test on a cardboard where she conveniently snuck into the teacher's lounge to get. The outcome?

Your friend fall from the rope because the teacher spots her and she's so surprised that she forgets she's supposed to hang on to the rope and drops the sign along with herself, falling to her own doom and demise and breaking her neck in the process -

- _Or_ -

She gets caught by the principal and gets suspended from the school, yet she doesn't squeal on you.

That's just sad, right?

A sigh escaped my mouth as I watched the disturbing scene in front of me.

"You think she's going to be alright?" Sango asked beside me as she played with her cat, leaning on the balcony rail bars.

I just shrugged and groaned, rubbing my forehead with my right hand.

Okay, so I never felt anything like what I just explained, but this was about as close to it as it could get.

There was a click and we both looked up to see a very familiar, yet frustrated looking girl come out from the holiday cabin. I couldn't help but let my eye twitch at the red cheeks that covered her usual rosy ones.

"So..." Sango started, letting her cat, Kirara, go which slinked off towards the beach.

"...what'd he say?" I asked quietly.

Ayame looked up, and Sango and I had to back up as far away as possible from her very dark, sadistic smile.

"He fired me good." She said with a very croaky voice.

The three of us stayed silent as we tried to sink this in when Sango finally broke the painful silence.

"I guess if you got promoted you wouldn't eat five ice cream buckets, huh?"

Ayame stared at her dumbfounded and I made a cutting motion with my finger, slicing off my neck.

"W-what? How did you know? I was the only one inside the cabin this whole day!" She asked flabbergasted.

We both just pointed back at the so-called mirrors and Ayame followed our fingers, only to come face to face with the sight of the inside of the cabin.

Ayame's eyebrow twitched. "A one-way mirror?" She turned back towards us-

- Only to find that there were two pieces of leaves falling to the ground as if two people were just there a second ago.

A comical, purple vein popped on her head. But even I heard her scream, though I was already on the beach running for my dear life.

_"WHO'S FREAKING IDEA WAS THIS SUPPOSE TO BE-?!" _

**Get A Life! **

_Sweet Toothed For Revenge _

By Snowgirl AKA Sasari

Lunch time was very quiet that afternoon. Even Kirara was sipping her milk in an unusually quiet manner and glancing up at us girls every few sips. Ayame had some tear stains on cheeks which were roughly wiped away, but the slightly red puffy eyes didn't exactly help her hide the truth. Sango was a bit roughed up since she had almost crashed into the oncoming traffic. She was still a bit red too now that I think about it, whether if she was embarrassed for heading into the clear morning traffic, or if the drunk man that almost drove over her had cat-called her.

Me?

I'm as awake as a daisy!

Ayame, who went though so much pain and hard work after all those years of working in the hotel and was forced to learn the proper etiquettes of a lady which left a huge dent in her mind, offered to clean the dishes and what did we do? We just let her do what ever she wanted.

"So." Sango started, trying to break the silence.

Ayame turned on the water, but ignored her attempt to break the silence.

"You know..." I started. "You should be happy that you were fired, Ayame." Sango and Ayame both gave me a crazy look.

"Excuse me." Ayame sure looked pissed... "For people with not much money (that stung), crying is a very normal thing for them when they get _fired_ while they're trying to support their _family!_"

I held up my hand in defense. "That's not what I meant!"

"Yeah!" Sango followed suit, "I mean he was working you as if you were a robot! Kagome told me that when she met you in the café, you were that only one cleaning the floor, polishing it as I might add!"

Ayame glared at me before mumbling something about her 'own reasons', before she went back to her cleaning.

"Don't worry; we're all on a vacation, so I think you'll have enough time to look for another job!" Sango tried to cheer her up, handing over her plate.

Of course I noticed the three untouched plates in front of me and gave Sango a questioning look, who was wiping her hand on her napkin and caught my look immediately.

"The guys like to hang around with the beach girls better than u - I mean, better than around the cabin." She promptly corrected herself and went back to handing the dishes to Ayame. I knew she had meant 'us' instead of 'cabin', but I wasn't gong to dare ask what she meant by that, since she looked already pissed off, and the most important thing I learned while these few days with Sango was that never, I mean _never_, try to question her when she was red, no matter what the situation was.

None of the guys bothered to learn anything about this though, since they suddenly bursted into the cabin from the _back way_, giving us all a heart attack. It's not exactly everyday that three hot guys come in with a pretty sharp looking 'vixen' in tow who was clinging onto the white-haired freak for dear life. Not that any of them looked 'hot'. Okay, just ignore that 'hot' part.

Miroku made a beeline towards the seat next to Sango and started eating the salad and complementing the person who cooked this, expecting for Sango to blush or something, since it was obvious that she probably cooked before we came along. Not to his knowledge, the real cook was Ayame, who just ignored everyone after she had dropped a few plates.

That wolf guy - Kouga - sat next to me with this annoying 'cool' air that seemed to surround him with this disturbing aura which made me stiffen greatly. This left that dog-dude - Inuyasha - on the seat right in front of my face, with his rich daddy's girl or 'fan' - Kikyo - squealing rather annoyingly about no respect and no rights about the proper etiquettes for a girl, or in other words, she was whining about the shortage in chairs. Inuyasha seemed a bit happy, but that could have been just me.

"Hey." The Kouga guy greeted me huskily, trying to act 'cool'...in a _weird_ sort of way.

I only nodded in reply. He seemed to grin as if I was already in love with him. If he wasn't a world-class runner and swimmer, not to mention diver, I would have just kicked him in the shin, or much less yelled _'IN YOUR DREAM LOSER!'_

"C'mon!" I heard the Kikyo girl whine at Inuyasha.

He just groaned. "No." He said simply.

She pouted.

"But why?"

"Because!" And for some reason, he seemed to glance over at me.

Kikyo, following his gaze, spotted the little old me and glared. That's another list for the hated...

"But why-?" This time she rubbed his nearly bare chest that was half covered by his opened shirt and whispered rather seductively in his ear. I had to duck under the table to laugh and distinctly saw Miroku's shin get kicked by Sango's feet. Guess he was still a hentai.

"Kikyo!" Inuyasha growled menacingly.

"But why can't I sit on your lap-?"

Again, I had to duck under the table to relief my red face. And again, I spotted Sango kicking Miroku's shin for the numerous times.

Someone cleared her throat and we all looked up to see Ayame standing over us, wiping her hand on a napkin.

"I can get a chair for you if you want me to." She said politely, looking down. How she heard this little conversation over the running water, I'll never know.

Kikyo looked her up and down and noticed her rugged t-shirt and short jeans. I really didn't like how she sneered, though only I noticed. None of us really minded Ayame's rather different status with her money problems, but Kikyo sure seemed like she did. Except maybe Kouga, who had this air of dominance around her that really annoyed me. Okay, so you can say I'm acting like a sister towards Ayame, but she just seemed so innocent, you know?

"I don't think I'll need any help from a person who dropped so much plate...you _do_ know you're going to have to pay for that?" She sneered and eyed the plates on the counter that was cracked. Really though, it was really _her _fault, since Ayame was inadvertently surprised by _her _squeak when she came in the back door. I had to bite my tongue to keep myself from cursing at her. No way was I embarrassing myself in front of Miroku, though he too didn't seem happy with Kikyo's attitude.

Ayame only nodded. I have no idea how she hid her worry since this had something to do with money.

"Do you at least want some lunch?" She asked ever so politely, eyeing that there was only three plates, since no one had expected her to come along.

Kikyo snapped, though I don't know why.

"How many times do I have to tell you? _I don't need a stinking homeless girl to serve me with her germs, now **scram!!!**_"

Ayame twitched and went towards her room like she was ordered to, which just broke my heart. I didn't notice Inuyasha looking at his so-called 'fan' in disgust, but I did hear Kouga yelling back saying, 'Don't forget to serve dinner, now!' and chuckling as Ayame haltered and ran to her room. Well, more like mine and Sango's since we were sharing, but you get the point.

I gripped that table hard, almost cracking the wood material. Kikyo noticed the cracking noise and eyed me suspiciously.

"What's wrong with you, twit?"

I snapped my eyes open and eyed her skeptically. Holding back was never my specialty.

"Excuse me." I said this in a very croaky voice. My eyes were sharp as knife and if I wasn't absorbed by my hatred, I would have noticed the red flames around me. (just think of Sango when Miroku was hugging Koharu! Scary, right?)

Then I promptly stomped off into my/Sango/Ayame's room.

**--- **

It was already dinner time, yet I was still in our triple room with Ayame, rubbing her back and trying to cheer her back, who was sniffing so much that I was afraid her nose was going to be the shape of a pig's.

"It's okay...you know you don't have to pay for the plates." I comforted her, trying to get a smile out of her.

No such luck.

That's when the door to the triple room opened and in came none other than Sango. She looked even more pissed. I was torn between comforting Ayame or getting an ice pack for Sango, who was very red.

Ayame also noticed this and quickly forgot about her problems.

"What's wrong, Sango?"

I would have said that too...

Sango snorted. "Your _brother_ said I was unladylike." She growled.

Now we both widened our eyes. Miroku? He wouldn't say anything like that, now would he? Weird...it was as if a mime had actually talked and the whole universal system had collapsed or something.

"Miroku?!" We both shouted in unison, stunned.

Sango rolled her eyes. "He basically compared me to Kikyo." Then making her voice as low as possible, "You know you're red all the time. Why don't you act more like Kikyo?"

Okay, so her voice didn't sound like Miroku, but I got the point anyway.

Ayame threw a pillow at the door in anger. "I hate man!" She screamed in rage and went back to sobering. I sighed, but that's when I spotted a _huge _net that was the size of my yellow backpack. Through the ropes, I could plainly see that there was nothing _but _balloons in there. _Water _balloons. I raised my eyebrow.

"Ayame..." I tapped her shoulder, a bit excited by a sudden idea.

"Yeah?" She pouted. I just pointed at the water balloons and they both followed my gaze. Sango gawked, but Ayame just stared as if it was a usual sight for her.

"What is _that?!_" Sango asked, obviously disturbed.

"A water balloon..." Ayame eyed her skeptically. "Are you feeling okay?"

I shook my head wildly.

"What she means is, _why _do you have water balloons?" I asked, my excitement obviously showing.

"It's just a hobby really...you know, when I'm angry..."

The light bulb above my head glowed even stronger...

"Girls," I started. "I think I have an idea..."

Ayame and Sango closed in, excitement showing on their face.

"What?" They asked.

"First, tell me who you hate the most in this cabin."

They all but stayed quiet.

Ayame - Kikyo, Kouga.

Sango - Kikyo, Miroku.

Me - Kikyo, Inuyasha.

I looked down at the list I made and tatted. "Only one person could have Kikyo..." I eyed Ayame who looked ready for revenge. "I think Ayame deserves this."

"What about me?" Sango exclaimed.

"Oh don't worry," I couldn't help but to grin like a fool, "Miroku's all yours..."

Sango squealed in delight but then remembered something and gave me a questionable gaze. "What about you?"

I smiled _very _darkly.

"I'll just have to let the dog know who the real master is..."

Ayame and Sango shivered.

**--- **

It was one of the dirtiest things I had ever done...but it was very delicious.

"Okay," I excitedly started, hiding my little tool under me on the couch and tried to ignore the red tint on my cheek from the excitement. "Remember what to do when the last guy finds out, okay?" Sango and Ayame groaned, who were trying to shove something behind their couch to their right. "Do we have to-?" Ayame groaned, obviously in her better moods now.

Kagome grinned. "Hey! It was my idea, remember? And remember to share us just how you did it when they walk in, okay?" I squealed in delight, but then quickly hid it when the familiar sound of the door banging open was heard, along with my little tool beneath me.

As usual, the boys were in their swimming trunks with their surf boards, and that Kikyo in her very tight bikini. Time for plan A.

We just sat their watching T.V, me trying to sit on the very uncomfortable item beneath me, trying not to turn it on.

Like we had thought, the boys only winked at us and didn't bother to sit down with us on the couch since they were wet, obviously heading towards their rooms.

Hehehehehe...

"Hey guys," I heard Inuyasha say, probably trying to get away from Kikyo. "I'm going to the kitchen."

Drat...guess we'll have to wait for his reaction last. But that meant that Miroku was gong to find out first...Sango gave me 'the look', and Ayame gave me 'the giggle'. Oh how revenge is sweet...

"What the **hell **hit here?"

Sango grinned widely, and then eyed me happily. "I know you usually do the laundry, but I did today's."

"Why thank you Sango!" I replied politely.

"The only thing is, I didn't know where to hang them, so since if I _did_ hang them outside, he would just be embarrassed, so I hang half of his clothes in the kitchen and hang half of the others in the balcony...including his underwear."

We both gapped at her proud posture at first, but we both clapped politely at her evil, _evil _genius mind.

We heard the other guys and Kikyo run into the kitchen, and heard a very long pause after they all bursted in there. Of course, a few seconds later all the guys minus Miroku was probably laughing from the banging, and Kikyo was probably just staring, since laughing does give you wrinkles and all.

"Who the hell would do this?!" Miroku yelled outraged.

There was a pregnant pause, as if it was obvious. Miroku seemed to get where this was going, but took it the wrong way. We heard him mutter, "Sango really does love me..." I saw Sango gag.

"Oh no!" Kikyo yelled. "_My_ room!" I had no idea how dumb she was, since going in into your room when you _know _it's been tampered with wasn't such a bright idea.

I heard her run towards her room and the guys following her. We heard the door open and there was relieved sigh. "Oh good...it's fine..." Sango and I looked at Ayame as if she was crazy. But she only shrugged and mouthed something excitedly. Then we heard it.

There was a flip and a loud shriek, but before there was any indication that she had landed, there was another splash as the boys gasped in unison. Ayame grinned. "Since the welcome mat in her room looked so innocent, I just had to add a little touch to it. And besides, did you guys know that there was a basement in this cabin?" Sango stared at her.

"Exactly how low is the basement?"

Ayame thought for a second before she shrugged. "How am I supposed to know, at least the water balloons down there helped her land quite nicely..."

"Eek!" A shriek cut her off. "There are mice down here!"

I had to keep myself from bursting out laughing.

Miroku and Kikyo were out. Time for that all mighty Kouga.

The guys seemed to ignore the shrieks for help from Kikyo and move on towards the next room, which was Kouga's. There was another unsure pause as the door opened with a creak, indicating that Kouga was too scared to step inside. But of course, there was a pause and a yell of shock.

"What...what...what happed to my...**room?!**"

I turned to Ayame.

"What _happened _to his room?" I repeated.

She grinned yet again. Then pulled something out.

"Nothing like a little super glue to turn everything upside-down!"

Sango's eyes widened, but then clapped her hands together. "I'm so proud of you, Ayame! You're taking care of yourself!"

Ayame stood up and wiped a fake tear away. Then started to bow as if she won a Grammy award. But I was too excited for what was coming up next to pay any attention to this little scene.

Now it was getting juicy.

There was another delicious pause as everyone seemed to be waiting for Inuyasha's turn. There was a tired sigh and he started towards his own room, the others following. My mouth quirked into an evil smile, but the girls noticed something sticking out of my seat.

"Hey, what are you sitting on?" Ayame asked. I just grinned. "You'll see my dear...you'll see..."

Then there was a loud bang as the door literally crashed open. At least Inuyasha wasn't as scared as Kouga, but there still was a very uncomfortable pause after that. After a few minutes of nothing, Sango finally broke it. "What did you do, Kagome?"

I gave her my most toothy smile, and then pulled out the drill I was sitting on, surprising every one in the room. "You ever saw any ninja movies?" They both shook their heads. "Pity...since you would have known that ninjas renovates their rooms by making them crooked to confuse their enemies, and-"

**"Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" **

"-some honey in a bucket on top of the door..." I stood up and bowed with my drill, the two girls clapping, but before I could stand up and do my little victory dance, a loud disturbing splash landed right...on...my...head! Ayame and Sango both gasped as the hand on my head twisted, messing up my hair and the water balloon splashing something that was so thick that it just couldn't be water and seeped into my eyes. My eyebrow twitched, but no one seemed to notice since my face was covered by my now wet and messy hair.

There were weird sounds coming out of the girl's shocked gape, excluding Kikyo who was still somewhere in the basement. The boys were at the door, but they were trying not to laugh. Before I could even turn, there was another splash and my eyes widened in shock.

Get this before you get confused. Miroku and Kouga were at the doorway, so Inuyasha was probably the one who had dropped the not so watery liquid on my head. But Ayame had tried to throw one of the water balloons that was hidden behind the couch at him, though he ducked dragging me with him down to the floor and instead hit Kouga, much to her surprise and joy.

Then all hell broke loose.

Sango grabbed another water balloon and threw it at Miroku, which wasn't a surprise. I wanted to join in the fight after the boys started to advance on them, but the hand on my head just wouldn't let go. That's when I noticed that the water balloon he splashed on my head hadn't consisted of water. Oh no, it was much _sweeter _than that.

"You idiot dog! What the hell are you thinking dropping a water balloon that has _honey_ inside?!" I yelled at him, whose hand was still stuck to my head and his body was twisted beside me on the floor. Of course, I did notice the sarcastic look on his face and his also honey-covered hair.

I guess we were somehow even.

A water balloon landed on my head. Before Inuyasha could even stop me, I started to get up, dragging him with me and picked up a stray water balloon, shoving it in his own face.

"What the-?! What was that for, _wench?!_" He yelled, trying to pull his hand off of my head, resulting in a very painful situation.

"Stop it!" I yelled and pushed him on towards the couch, but stupid me forgot that he was still attached to me, so I was dragged down with him. None of the girls knew it by then, but the boys were actually enjoying seeing us almost naked, since our clothes were so soaked that it was literally all see-through.

Miroku was trying to throw as much water balloons at Sango as possible for some obvious perverted reasons, and Sango was throwing as much water balloon back at Miroku as possible with a vengeance.

Kouga was just mad and throwing anything at everyone, but Ayame was throwing directly at him with all her anger, which was a lot.

Me?

I was trapped on top of Inuyasha on the couch, remember?

Lady luck really hated me.

He knew I was trying to struggle out of his grasp, but he was too shocked to move. But the scream I emitted when we fell was enough to stop everyone, making me the center of attention.

Miroku was the one to break the pregnant pause.

"I didn't know you were so forward, sis!" He said shocked.

I growled back. "That's not what we're doing...oh, just look!" I yelled frustrated, and tried to get up, dragging Inuyasha with me and showed how his hand was stuck to my head. But that wasn't what everyone was looking at. I followed their gaze and blushed furiously. Apparently, if I hadn't worn any bra, I would have been totally naked in my P.J.

The other girls also noticed their naked style and screamed. Yet the boys didn't seem so disappointed. The girls immediately went behind the couch since the escape was blocked by the boys. I was still stuck, remember? So what did I do? I turned around and hugged Inuyasha.

Yes, much to my disgust and much to everyone's shock, I hugged him alright. There was no way I was letting anyone see my breasts, so I just pressed them, hard, against Inuyasha's chest. He was too shocked to respond. Of course, that was when Kikyo just had to barge into the living room from the front door.

"Oh my god! I thought I would never get out of that hell-hole! Did anyone know that there was a basement door..._KYAAAAAAAAAA!!!_ **WHAT ****ARE**** YOU DOING WITH MY INU?!**"

I didn't know what to do when she started to pull me off of him, but then I was afraid that she would notice my boobies and say something about me not being mature enough, and that's when I remembered my very wet pants. I just happened to spot the two guys and Inuyasha staring at my butt, which was a perfect sight for their little perverted eyes. Screeching, I pulled him towards the bed, but then I stumbled because of Kikyo who was trying to pull me back, so instead, I fell on the couch first, and Inuyasha fell on me, making it look as if _he_ was the one coming on towards _me_.

Kikyo gasped.

"H-how...could you..." And before anyone could stop her...not that anyone was going to, mind you...she ran away though the open front door and into the night beach, probably off to find some man to relief her stress to.

I could only stare, but then finally remembered the man on top of me, as so did every other people in the room.

The reaction -

Everyone fell on the floor and rolled around, laughing.

Inuyasha stared down at me lustfully (shiver).

I screamed.

**AN: **Next chapter - "Three Full Moons to Die For"...-evil chuckle- Think as perverted as you want! .'''


	6. Three Full Moons to Die For

**AN: **Last week, unknown to my knowledge, my uncle, my cousin, and my second cousin got into a horrible car crash while visiting my grandparents in China during Chinese New Year. They're in the hospital. With all the homework and all the pressure on studying for exams, not to mention my parent's arguments about family issues, which is not helping because they're already on the verge of divorcing, updating will be slow and reasonably not fun for me. Please don't pressure me with my hobby.

**- **

I couldn't help but growl.

Every time Sango came upon a snag in my hair, I bit my bottom lip from crying out as she forced the brush to go through my thick, messed up black hair.

Oh yeah, they were so going to get it.

"Sango, how much more longer is this going to take?" I asked, nodding towards the make-ups and the broken combs she had tried to use the first time she tried to get my hair under control.

Sango didn't look away from my hair, intent on drying off all my hair with the heavy-duty blow dryer and her huge piece of comb. "Just a few more minutes…"

She clearly heard my groan, though it was mostly a growl that emitted from my chest when she came upon another honey-covered snag in my hair. "You know I'm going to get them…as soon as Ayame finally get those extra pajamas."

So I took a couple of quick showers, added with few shampoos, couple of soaps, and some hours of drying off. Yet not even one thing from what I did helped with my hair. I was still in my wet clothes. Just pure luck that it had to be laundry night.

I squeaked when Sango pulled her comb, and pulled some hair off by the feel of it. Sango paused, but then continued on brushing. Later on, I found some tangled hair under my bed, with some serious cursing.

"Sannnnngo-!" I whined, trying to feel my supposed bald spot on my head.

"What?" She said over the blow dryer, her innocent remark totally sugar coated, "You're not bald, okay?" She asked, obviously annoyed more at my head than me, as if it was the hair's fault for just becoming tangled.

I sighed, but winced when Sango pulled out some more hair, or so I thought.

My head hurt.

And if it was just a bad case of migraine or if it was just the hair being repeatedly pulled out, I would never know.

**Get A Life! **

_ Chapter Six: Three Full Moons to Die For _

By Snowgirl AKA Sasari

Have you ever have those days, when you expect it to be just like every other day of your life, and nothing out of ordinary would happen? That was how I woke up to this morning when Ayame's cell phone rang.

Yeah, I could just remember her tearstained face when she realized she was fired and pigged out on a bucket full of ice-cream. The reason we didn't have dessert this evening.

Of course, I was too busy thinking up a plan in my bed to really hear my stomach grumbling. It would have been kind of funny, seeing me under my cover with a flashlight on, crouched over as if reading top-secret information. That's how Sango woke up to in the middle of the night, just about to get out of bed to obey her thirst for liquid.

I had to clutch my mattress when a pillow flew right on my head.

"Hey!" I indignantly hissed.

I heard a very distinct snort, though somewhat muffled.

"Sango! Why'd you do that?!" I hissed at the supposed direction of Sango's position.

"Eh?" She started, "What are you talking about? That wasn't me." I squinted at her sitting position on the bed near the door. I frowned.

"Ayame?"

I saw the form in the bed shuffle a bit then roll of the bed. Grudgingly, she stood up and turned the lights on, making me squeak and turn my light off.

"That wasn't necessarily!" I hissed, afraid that the boys beside our room would hear us and poked my head out the little makeshift cover tent I created.

My eyes were still adjusting to the bright light, but the all-too-familiar sound of a snort was enough to tell me that Ayame (in her words) didn't care a darn thing about it, and just wanted to get some shut eye. She said so anyways.

"Guys." Sango grumbled, when I was just about to hiss an annoyed reply back at her. "Can you just tell me what's going on?"

Ayame 'humph'-ed and turned her head to the side, indicating that she didn't want to speak any of it, leaving me to be interrogated.

Typical how your friend could turn on you so quickly.

"Well?" Sango grumbled – her voice an octave lower.

"Don't give me that evil-eye… I was just setting up some plan. You'll thank me when I'm finished with this." I replied smugly, turning back to my paper and clicking the flashlight on, though it was unnecessarily since the lights were on in the room now.

Sango frowned and stumbled her way towards my bed, then promptly sat down next to me and stared at the huge paper on my mattress. It was really funny, seeing three teenagers wearing all the same oversized T-shirt and black shorts, since that was the only thing left that was dry. I swear the boys had something to do with this…

"Why are you using an air-vent map?" She asked with a dull voice, her face completely emotionless.

"What? Don't tell me you don't know about the air-vent system! It's such a classic!" I clasped my hands together in front of my chest and heaved a dramatic sigh, causing Sango to back away slightly. What? I liked those classic moves, okay?

"Kagome…" was the only thing Sango could get past through the lump in her throat. I swear I felt like I was far away in a place full of flowers, and trees, and wildlife, full of animals…blossoms…by now, I was surrounded in this pink aura. Or so Sango had told me later on.

Of course, another pillow just had to interrupt me during one of those rare moments I have with my inner-beauty.

"Heeeeey-!" I hissed like a poor wounded bird, clutching to the side of the bed for dear life. "What was that for?!"

I saw Ayame with a menacing glare, and those annoying black rings made that evil-eye look even more horrific.

"Some people around here are not nocturnal like other people around here, did you know?" She grinded that out through obvious annoyance, sarcasm dripping from her tongu, every syllable she worded. Completely, and utterly terrified, I was.

"Get used to it." Sango dully replied, still staring at the map. "Besides, she has a good plan here."

Ayame sighed, as if we were _that _stupid. "Look, I know _your _plan backfired on all of us a couple of hours ago, now how a plan that wasn't even created by me could just blow up in _my _face, I'll never know, but that's another point. Anyway, the point is, you didn't get your revenge on Miroku, since he's winning by a point, and I know Kagome has a too big of a pride to let some egoistic-devil get the better of her. But, I, on the other hand, got a perfect revenge. What with Kikyo falling into that hidden mouse-infested basement _and _not to mention seeing _her_ 'idol' cuddled up with another girl was the perfect kind of night for me…except for the part when I was soaked and was practically naked in front of the guy who made fun of my money status and…okay now I see where this is going."

Ayame's expression didn't change as she limped over towards my bed and sat beside me and Sango, making her self comfortable, more at home than neither me, nor Sango.

Sango rolled her eyes and tried to snuggle into _my _cover, but I made sure it was behind my back the whole time we were on my bed.

"The problem is," The queen of bad news continued, "I don't think something this classic would work against them." She muttered with her same dull voice.

"Oh? Why's that?"

"C'mon, I'll show you." She said as she got up and started her way towards the small, dark hallway. I looked over towards Sango, a bit unsure about leaving the comfort of my sheet, but then quickly followed after, the curiosity getting the better of me.

It was a summer house, so the hallway was pretty compact. It was a tight place with the doors close together, and it was pretty hard just to have two people stand side-by-side, so standing there with two other teens was a pretty hard thing to be quiet about. Eventually, we had to let Ayame be in the front and me and Sango behind her crouching form.

"Ow!"

"Watch it!"

"Guys…"

"You're stepping on my toe!"

"You're elbowing me!"

"Guys!" Ayame hissed, snapping her head back towards our form in the dark hallway. There were some creaks from one of the bedroom doors, and all of us froze.

"Whose room is that?" I hissed, leaning down on Ayame, who was trying not to lean all the way on the ground.

"I think its Inuyasha's…" Sango held her breath when there were some footsteps, then the light that was flooding out of the crack between the door and the floor clicked off. We just stared for a moment before we all let out the air that we secretly held in our lungs.

"You think he heard?" I asked, a little unsure now.

Sango shook her head. "Who knows? He could be just checking himself out in the mirror." She looked at our comical stare. "What? Working with Inuyasha for 5 years and knowing him for 10 does take its toll." She rubbed her finger against her nose and sniffed that sluttish sniff.

I swore I heard some snorts and cussing inside one of the rooms, but then again, I could have been just imagining it.

"So, what did you want to show us about?"

Ayame pointed down at the ground, or so I thought. We all leaned down and then saw what she meant, after some squinting and frowning. There was a slight sheen of light just above the floor and as soon as I noticed the price tag attached to the end of it, it all came very clear to me.

"They copied me!" I hissed/whined.

Ayame and Sango stared at me. "What?"

I sighed. "The ninja thing! You know, when I kind of renovated his room into ninja fashion and this! This is just like it! What with the clear string with some bell on the end to clarify our entrance!" I whined, pointing at the tiny silver bell on the end of the string that could have rang with the slightest movement of the see-though string.

I glared when I heard a sigh from both of my so-called companions. "What?"

"Never mind…" Sango muttered then frowned back to business. "So, what are you saying? That we won't get our revenge or something? It's only one string."

Ayame turned back then shook her head. She crawled her way back towards our room, shoving her way past our shins and making a huge ruckus. After a few weary glances and some strange cursing from her direction, Ayame finally came out with a small flashlight between her clenched teeth. Needless to say, she looked shockingly like a some sort of super-spy.

After more shoving and pushing, she was again in front of us and kneeled onto the ground. She pointed the flashlight at the floor horizontally and clicked it on. My eye must have bulged out, but I was too occupied by the sight to notice the rest of the world that time.

Thousands and thousands of strings traveled above the ground, yet low enough to stay unnoticed. Some were overlapped one another, all shining against the sudden light, and there were even more silver bells near the floor. I gulped and looked up, kind of afraid what to see. Wouldn't you believe it? I gawked. The strings followed all the way towards the wall, still barely visible as if it was a spider's web and followed into the cracks between the doors and the floors, even through the air vents. When they created traps, they were really, _really _serious.

"Wow…" Sango and I stared in awe, almost admiring the pure complexity of all the strings that seemed to be entangled together. It was so thick that it looked like some bed of clear see-through sheets that you could just fall into. I had no idea how I could have missed that when I had gotten my toothbrush from the bathroom. Then again, it was in the other hallway, so they really were up to something when we were in our beds.

That's what I told the rest of the girls, anyway.

Ayame growled with a menacing tone I heard for the first time. "I knew those good-for-nothing-bums were up to something…"

_That's _when I noticed the bandage on her finger.

"What the- Ayame? How did you get that bandage?"

Ayame froze and quickly tried to cover her finger with her other hand. "Oh, umm…nothing, I just kind of…you know, burned it?" It was more like a question than an answer.

"You tripped and fell." Sango eyed Ayame dully. "And then fell onto the strings, right?"

"Shut up." Ayame hissed and stalked/crawled back towards our room. After a few seconds, we followed suit.

If only we noticed the lights that turned back on when we turned around from the doors, I think what happened the next morning could have definitely being avoided…

**--- **

It all started out like any other day. Normal, bright, and very early in the morning thanks to Sango's busted clock, but that's another story.

Just another day, another coffee.

I was just minding my own business in the kitchen when Sango got this bright idea to dump actual beach sand in the shower she found while taking her early morning jog. It was pretty good, since sand and water concluded into a very messy bathroom, but dumping a ton of sand wasn't as easy as it sounded.

First of all, taking beach sand from a secluded beach was really prohibited, but everyone knew that no teenager would actually listen to some broken down sign.

Second of all, the lifeguard was also a problem, but he was one of those huge buffed up guys that couldn't think to save his life, so sneaking past him was pretty easy.

Third off, doing all this while not knowing where in the world the boys were was a real pain. Every squeak and creaks in the early morning made us jump, and by the time we finished dumping the last of the sand I was covered in sweat and the sun had already risen over the ocean.

So now, I was sitting in the kitchen, reading some war book I found in Sango's drawer and sipping some of those coffees I was just talking about. She had some great tastes in books, what with all the blood and girls ruling over boys and just letting them survive for reproduction…later, I found out that I was drinking some of those weird native juice that you're suppose to spike instead of that coffee I had on the other side of the table (explains my lazy mood).

Hey, five hours of dumping sand could really get to you.

That's when I actually heard the loud thump.

Now, ordinarily, I would have thought that it was Ayame doing the laundry and probably dropped a few clothes on the ground. So on instinct I got up from my chair and was just about to head towards the laundry room, when the all too familiar form appeared from the hallway.

Except this time, the muscle clad figure wasn't exactly wearing his usual attire.

This whole thing kind of reminded me of the naked king who got duped into wearing some 'invisible' robe. I had a good enough reason to believe that this guy had the chance of getting duped, since it was Kouga and all.

Just picture me, just getting up from my seat with one hand on the chair and the other on the desk, ready to walk away but not soon enough.

Now, Kouga just has to walk in on my peaceful morning and just has to make me want to throw up.

Nude.

_Utterly _naked.

**Completely** **bare** **skin. **

**Bare muscles with sweat flowing over them. Completely clothes-free with a smug that of a wolf's. Bare…nude…_NAKED_**.

Need I say more?

Now me…

Staring…

At him…

In shock…

…and some disgust…

Some morning peace this was…

_**"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!" **_

…

God how I wanted to just scream my head off and die right there on the floor.

Seriously, if it wasn't for that hunky-dory tool belt, I would have seen his…-ahem- front side -ahem-…too…

I really, _really _tried to keep my balance with the chair and the table, but I was quickly losing my composure (not that I haven't already).

_**"What the hell?! Why the HELL aren't you wearing your goddamed clothes?!" **_

I was just too busy trying to look anywhere else _but _him that I just couldn't see what his reaction was. By now, I was…before I even tell you…god…I don't even know what to say…this was just…it's going to be in my sight for a good few weeks…I was just completely breathless…scared? Probably…shocked? Hell yeah.

By now we created a whole lot of mess and ruckus, but I was completely unaware of this. Why?

I was too busy muttering incoherent thing about dreams and evil dust bunnies chasing me. Just to get my mind off of this…this…whatever weird parallel universe happening the Kami just had to throw at me.

(The only reason I'm even continuing right now is that I don't want to get any e-mails saying something about uncompleted nudity).

That was when Ayame just _had_ to come up, holding a stack of laundry in her arms that was kind of blocking her sight (at least she had some time to keep her sanity until she sees what's happening).

"God Kagome, what's with that huge ruckus? Did you just find some octopus in the refrigerator or…s…some…sssssome…sum…surgh…"

She turned to her side to see what was keeping me from answering in choked on her words. As if in slow motion, all the laundry in her grasp fell, one clothes at a time to the floor…as if it was a countdown towards total doom.

Ayame was just wide-eyed.

_Five… _

She couldn't move…

_Four… _

Her eyes twitched…

_Three… _

She looked like she wanted to cry…or…

_Two… _

…scream…

_On-…wait, does a torn boxer count? Oh well…one… _

_ **"WHAT THE HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL?!" **_(Incriminating words will be modified from now on, due to the rating of this fic. If this is very disturbing for your ears please hit the X mark and if not, remember to stay in school. This will go back to the fic now, thank you for your time.) _**"Oh my f--- --- WHAT THE #$ IS WRONG WITH YOU?! What is going in you #$ head? &$#!!! GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAA!!!" **_

My ears really hurt by then.

If only I could just end it here.

Oh yeah, it wasn't just over yet.

And at the same time, Sango just had to join our little **#$& **party.

"Hey, guys? Do you know what that screeching sound was? I mean, the whole street kind of stopped because…be…be…cause…"

She was just too speechless. She was shocked.

And it was all an understatement.

How many people out there ever finish a morning jog in the beach, sweat covered with a water bottle in one hand and the other trying to adjust your headband, and then finds a perverted admirer of yours in the kitchen. Nude.

Miroku, with his shiny surfboard, comes in.

I really, _really _wanted to cry when I saw him…kind of bare.

And I really, _really _hoped that he was wearing underwear beneath the surfboard.

"What the…oh my #$&$ god…" I heard Sango breathe. She looked really pale when she saw Miroku with his clad body. Oh yeah, he really was enjoying himself with this little fashion show. Now, I knew that he enjoyed it when he was shirtless (like all man), but nude? That was another story.

I wanted this to be over. This was like a nightmare of the worst awkward moment in the world. Except, Kouga was kind of blocking the hallway and I wasn't just about to touch his bare skin to push him out of the way. If I had a towel…but then again, I was a bit frozen when this all happened so I guess I was kind of stuck.

Worst of all, it wasn't over.

Ohhhhhh no, it wasn't over alright. What could make things more awkward was one more person coming in from the bathroom, right after some cussing and thumping (the sand obviously worked), and grumbling while walking into the kitchen with a towel wrapped around his torso.

Why heeeeeello- Inuyasha!

He looked at me, sprawled on the kitchen floor face first with the shock of it all. Then at Kouga beside him in front of the hallway. Sango behind the counter with a loud crash of plates. Ayame hacking and coughing on her knees. Miroku with a dazed kind of expression on his face.

All in all, he was as confused as I was.

"What the #$ is this?! Are you all in this nudity club or something? Because I'm not-"

He stopped when I stood up and picked up the chair beside me. Ayame was still trying to get her composure back and picked up some dishes. Sango stood up with an expressionless mask and picked up the garbage can.

Then, all of us in unison…

_ "_ _PER__-VERTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" _Threw everything and anything in our reach at all of our main targets. Just a second later, the peaceful kitchen was now a complete war zone of garbage, food, and every solid object we got our hands on to, including Tupperware, glass cups, Chinas, chairs, spoons, forks, knives (don't ask), laundries, and the list keeps going.

I was desperately trying to throw apples at the boys in vengeance, but during this free-for-all-throwing contest in the now war zone that once surprising was a home, I somehow, ironically tripped on a banana peel.

Usually, these kinds of things just kind of happens on T.V. shows, but hey, my life is enough to be a comic-relief as it is.

Without much ado, I tipped and literally flew across the room with that of an amazingly grace I never thought I had and kind of enjoyed it for a moment…

…before I flew into Inuyasha.

He was on the defensive side when I was throwing all those grapefruits at him, but now just a second after that fatal mistake, I was on top of him. It was bad enough that he was wet and kind of musky since he just stepped out of the sand covered shower, but the fact that only a small towel covered his torso really, _really _freaked me out.

So I screamed.

I screamed like there was no tomorrow.

I screamed my lungs out until I was out of air.

Big, _big _mistake.

By now, the boys thought it was enough to turn back and retreat. The girls grinned when we saw them retreat, including me when Inuyasha pushed me off and scrambled up. The only problem was, we kind of forgot that they were _nude _and the only thing they wore covered the front of their…you know. So when they turned…

It kind of left an image in our head that was going to stay there for the rest of our miserable little lives.

I thought this as a minus for the girl's side, _and _the boy's side. Besides, it didn't look like the boys had come into the kitchen, barely covered, on purpose…

…or, had they?

I, sadly, would never know.

**AN: **Rest assured that I will not be deleting any of my fics. I will be adding the reasons why my fics were delayed on other author's note in my other fics.


	7. Discolored Vengeance

Anger.

An emotion that causes hatred and cruelty.

Hatred.

An extreme emotion that causes a grudge against a person.

I, with every other emotion known to man-kind, felt hatred as I threw another dart. The room was dark and the windows were shaded closed.

I, for once in my happy-go-lucky life, felt dark. Very dark. Ohhhh I was mad alright. So mad…so, so, very mad.

Another dart hit the picture. An evil grin spread on my face. A very evil and smug grin, might I add.

I was about to throw another dart when the door opened, throwing me off balance and making me throw the dart two feet off target.

A glare. A very mean glare was what I gave Sango as she came in.

She cleared her throat.

"Kagome…what the _hell _are you doing?!" She said, turning the light on, I hissed at the abrupt light.

"Close! Must shut!!!" I hissed like crazy, I admit.

Sango couldn't move, staring at the picture with very wide eyes. "What the…" She got out of her shock and shook her head.

I glared that evil glare. "What?!"

"You have officially gone insane." She said with a very dull expression, trying not to look at the picture with a funny look on her face.

"What?!" I blurted out. "I've gone insane?! _I've _gone insane?!"

Sango looked at the picture, then back at me again. "Err…yeah?"

"Ha!" I laughed like a maniac. "I saw Ayame making thirty voodoo dolls of the boys this morning! Each!" I put my nose up in the air. "When you passed her in the kitchen, I didn't see youcall _her_ crazy!"

"I called you insane." She corrected.

"It's still the same thing!" Okay…so I guess I was kind of hysterical now, but it's not like I really cared.

"Kagome, calm down." She patted me in the back. "You're hyperventilating."

I kept going, though. "They have to die. They have to die, die, _and die_! I don't care what it takes! I'm going to kill them no matter how long it takes, not even if it's the last thing I do on this planet!"

"Calm down!" Sango was now going hysteric as I was. "It's going to be the last thing you _think_ about if you don't calm down!" Then she got this sudden look, as if she just got an idea or something. "Ayame's gone to buy more quilts for the voodoo dolls."

This got me to calm down.

I panted, trying to get my blood pressure lower, feeling my own heart pumping in my ear drums. "They…must…die…"

"I know, I know…" Sango said soothingly, rubbing my back. "We'll get them, somehow."

Rubbing my hands in a very evil, evil way, I cackled, getting some of my saneness back. "Oh how I'm going to enjoy this…"

Sango stared, and then shook her head. "Ironic how a sweet little girl could go so evil…especially in something against the Female vs. the Male."

I didn't hear her, though, because of the cackling. "Alright, it's back to base 1. Plan A didn't go so well, but Plan _B_ shall be victorious!"

Sango really must have tried hard not to smack me upside the head, right then. "Okay, Kagome," She said heavily, "let's first make sure that we still have our brains before we act, unlike last time."

I glared at her, yet again. "What are you talking about?"

She lifted her eyebrow. "Umm…Kagome…"

"What?"

"If you didn't notice…" She lifted one dramatic finger at the poster I was throwing darts at. "You're throwing _darts_ at the poster of Inuyasha!" She shouted at my face.

I looked at the poster she was pointing at and the anger immediately boiled back. "Why I ought to…" I picked up another dart and tried to throw it at his…you know…part.

Sango saw what I was doing and jumped on my back, when I was just about to throw the dart at his…you know…part.

"Gya! Get off of me!"

"Kagome! Get a hold of yourself, woman!"

I was so going to rip some boxers apart after this.

** Get A Life! **

_ Chapter Seven: Discolored Vengeance _

By Snowgirl AKA Sasari

It's ironic really. How my life got so complicated after that god forsaken _brother _of mine showed up on my doorsteps, looking as bored as I was, dragged by my grandpa.

God forgive me for being so naïve.

Even to this day, I regret not preparing myself when this whole thing started – Boys against Girls, the forever lasting battle of genders and brains. Males with bronze, Females with tricks.

These are the times when I wished I was still with Emi in Japan, talking about homeworks, boys, and other typical girl stuff.

And now, here I was, in a room, with two absolutely different girls…sitting…planning for vengeance.

"No, no, no…this map is all wrong!" Ayame exclaimed as she grabbed the large piece of paper and started to erase the whole outline of those intricate lines drawn on it. Sango gasped.

"What are you doing?! Do you know how long that took me to draw it?! Give me that!" She jumped at Ayame and tried to tug the paper out of her grasp, who was still trying to erase everything on the paper.

Do I pity myself or what?

That's when I noticed the widow as I tried to pull Ayame away from the approaching catfight. I gaped.

"Hey!" Ayame cried as I suddenly dropped her on the floor. "What was _that_ for?!"

I didn't hear her demand and stayed frozen as I looked out the window.

Sango came and poked hard on my ribs. Of course, it took a few moments before I realized the pain. "Ow!" I exclaimed as I fell off the chair I sat down on.

Ayame took the chance to erase the rest of the lines on the map, while Sango came and kneeled beside me, a sarcastic frown on her face. "Are you okay?"

I immediately paused and glared at her. "Am I okay?! Am _I_ okay?!" I got a weird déjà vu here. "You're the one who poked _me_!"

Sango shook her head. "Not that. I mean before I poked you. You had this real serene look on your face. Like, almost goofy-like."

Of course, I looked at her in disbelief and scrunched up my nose. "What?! Are you kidding me?"

She shrugged. "You were looking out the window and…" She stopped as she looked out the window where she was indicating with her finger and saw what I just saw just a moment ago. "Oh…"

I frowned. "Now you see…"

Ayame had this contended look as she put the now 'fixed' map on the bed along with the smeared eraser. She probably saw me and Sango on the floor, gaping out the window so she probably followed our gaze and also looked out the window.

Guess she saw what we saw.

"What the-" She didn't even finish her sentence when she dashed out the door and into the hallway, her loud footsteps disappearing as she got further and closer towards the front door.

"Sango?" I squeaked, getting up from my awkward position and sitting alongside with her on the floor, my blood pressure quickly heightening.

It was a while before Sango finally answered, her face completely red. "Yeah?"

I was about to ask if what I saw was really what I saw and not some sick delusional picture of my insane mind, when a small figure ran into our vision of sight. "Wait…is that-?"

I didn't even have time to ask, when the small familiar figure started hitting on the three figures with her… so-called weapon.

"Oh my god…" Sango's eyes widened. "She's…she's…" Sango nearly cracked up.

"You go girl!"

** --- **

"I can't _believe_ it!" Ayame cried, still holding her 'weapon' as she sat on the bed, looking still angry from the encounter.

"I _know_!" Sango agreed, nodding with a very disgusted look. "I can't _believe_ they would do such a thing!"

I couldn't help it. I joined the two mad teens. "They _so_ deserved it!"

Sango still had a red face, but she smiled at Ayame. "You have a very exquisite cooking style, you know that?"

Ayame smiled very sheepishly. "I do say so!" She held up her frying pan that had couple dents on it. "I just hope they have that slap mark for at least a couple weeks!"

I sighed. "I knew they were perverts…"

Sango joined along. "And I knew they were stupid…"

Ayame scoffed. "It's alright." She said as she patted out backs. "I'm sure _no_ one would have expected the three guys would _almost_ molest couple of teenagers in the beach." She scrunched her nose up at that thought. "Though the girls seemed to have enjoyed it."

Sango sighed. "Don't they _know_ that if they keep on showing themselves like that, we'll get found out?"

I had to narrow my eyes. "Again." I added.

Ayame shook her head. "Who _knew_ that they were such scums?"

Ayame looked at Sango to her right. Sango looked at me to her right. I looked at Ayame to my right. It was like a perfect triangle on the bed. Then, we all said in unison – "I did."

That was when a small tap on the window caught our ears. Ayame was already facing the window, but Sango and I had our backs to it, so we turned around to see a small crowd of guys standing out there, cat-calling and hooting at us. I couldn't help but hang my mouth open.

So much for going undercover…

_"Blast it!" _

Sango exclaimed as she turned her back on them again, grabbing a fistful of her shorts and shutting her eyes, hoping that this was just some crazed nightmare. This gained some groans and boos from the small crowd in the window.

I stared at her. "You know, you kind of sounded like my grandpa right then…"

Sango blanched and nearly fell off the bed. "Excuse me?!"

"Nothing, nothing…"

"Kagome!" Sango yelled at my face. "We've been discovered here, and now you're talking about your grandpa sounding like me?! What kind of sick-minded…Ayame?" She paused and called as the said girl stood up and walked up to the window. "What are you doing?"

Ayame had this almost, seductive look on her, her lips puckered up and her eyes narrowed delicately. She was swaying her hips and almost floating towards the window, her breast bouncing up and down. The guys outside the window hooted and some nearly drooled.

This had the rest of us really twitching like mad.

"Ayame!" I hissed. "What are you _doing_?!"

"Shut up," She mumbled, her rosy lips barely moving, "I know what I'm doing." And without much warning, she reached out to unlatch the window. There were a huge crowd of boys out there in the window, so Sango and I immediately backed away when Ayame pulled the window up.

"Hello, boys." She started calmly, her seductive look still passive on her face.

"Hey, babe." The one nearest and still able to talk, brokenly replied, staring at her…chest.

_Perverts… _

"What brings you here?" She asked, leaning on the window sill and her breast really getting oppressed. Some boys nearly reached out for it.

"Err…" They didn't answer, just acted.

Before I could realize what just happened, nearly all the boys' hands reached out to touch this horny-looking girl in the window, but before it was even near a millimeter of her body, she promptly dropped the window and closed it, shutting out some of those poor fingers and crushing those other offending ones. She ignored the groans and yells of pain outside, and latched the window, then turned her back to it, but not before she shaded the window with one of the boy's laundries she stolen this morning.

She had a really smug look as she sat back on the bed, as if daring us to speak of what just happened.

I had this really dumbfounded look as Sango started, all her words broken, also shocked.

"A-Ayame…you…you just…those…them…crushed fingers…"

The girl looked at Sango rather coolly. "Nice grammar."

I cut in before there were any more arguments, still ignoring all the cuss said outside the now shaded window. "Ayame, you looked as if…I don't know…as if you knew what you were doing…"

She shrugged, but her smile was still there. "Hey, a girl gotta do what a girl gotta do." She shrugged, not looking as if she wanted to talk about it.

We didn't leave her alone though.

She sighed. "If you really must know…" She opened her eyes to see us nodding our heads. "Well, I got a lot of those annoying guys back in the hotel and all…kind of learned a few techniques of my own, you could say." She shrugged and sighed once again. "Now can we please go back to our plan? Talking about my old job makes me kind of depressed, you know?" She looked up, but then her face grew dull. "Oh wait, you wouldn't." The she shrugged and looked down at the map, making this conversation reach the end.

I looked at Sango, and she looked at me, but we knew that she would have burst into tears if we went any further so we just nodded in silent agreement and looked down at the map. Of course, that was when Sango realized what Ayame had done to the map.

…

Oh boy…another migraine coming on…

** --- **

Sometimes, I take things for granted…

Wait, scratch that…I _always _take things for granted.

This time, though, I was going to wish that I never learned the meaning of 'brains over bronze'.

You know the basic stereotypes? You know, man are better drivers than woman, female can multi-task, males are better at sports, females has ½ of their brain set on fashion sense, or even saying that males are better at sports?

Well, I always thought that the females had their own way of thinking and males had their own with their tiny brains. I never even thought otherwise, since, heck, it wasn't as if I was ever going to get to know them.

Miroku? He's a different story.

Anyway, when I woke up, it was just like any day of the week. Bright, quiet, and absolutely messy.

Ever since all of us kind of got 'addicted' to this 'Boys vs. Girls – Anything goes revenge', no one really took care of all the chores. It was another one of those days when I was trying to step over all those laundries on the floor and hallway.

That was when everything started.

There I was, just minding my own business and stepping over junk on the floor when suddenly a light prick on my bare feet makes me wince. So obviously, I look down to see why it feels as if my poor feet was stepping on fire, and to my horror, I see this needle digging deeper and deeper into my feet as each second passed by.

On instinct, I fall on my rear on the floor, probably rocking the whole house, I didn't notice, and pick the needle out of my skin with those long nails of mine I didn't bother to cut.

I never realized what happened when the door opened to a creak.

So I was looking at this bloody needle, seeing how it was well-polished and seemed a bit tinier than those normal ones in the store…as if it was planned for a naïve little girl to step on.

Of course, before I could realize the oddity of this, a sudden scream from the other room made me snap my head up. Of course, the boys were out in the beach, doing what they do naturally, so without question the feminine scream was either Sango or Ayame's, so I get up on one feet and tried to _hop _my way towards the door.

I never knew the irony of this whole ordeal as I tripped on numerous clothes until after I washed that retched peanut butter out of my hair, but that's another story.

So, I tripped and got up, then hopped then tripped again. I probably went through that pattern for like three minutes until I finally stumbled out of the room. Without much thought, I crashed into the other side of the hall, which was, of course, the wall.

Of course, when you're only on your one foot, and the other behind you hanging lifelessly, you have this sadistic chance of 99 falling on one of your body parts. The funny thing was, the floor seemed especially slippery that day, so when I stumbled into the hallway; I immediately fell on my rear.

That was when the weird thing happened.

As I was slipping through the hallway on my rear, and I swear the hallway was like a skating ring, I noticed the bathroom door was open. I didn't have anyplace to grab for to try to stop my joy ride through the ice-like hallway but that was actually when I had this weird urge to look up into the bathroom mirror.

That was when I saw this weird, green blobby thing.

I, naturally, frowned, trying to decipher what in the world that green thing was in the bathroom mirror, but I couldn't even slow down because of that slippery hall, so I could only get a small glimpse of it.

Of course, that was when I conveniently looked to the front and noticed a weird string attached to the top ceiling. Following the string with my eyes as I kept on cruising down the hall, I noticed a funny looking wood that was shaped to look like a demented arrow. It was obvious that it was handmade because of all the carve marks, but as I reached the end of the hallway, which actually led to one of the boy's room, I, with a horrible expression, finally realized what I just got myself into.

With a desperate struggle, I tried to reach for anything in sight, but sadly the summer house we were staying in wasn't crumpling, the wall wasn't peeling, and the ceiling was in tact.

Stupid, stupid, _STUPID… _

So I was left helpless as I slowly sled my way towards the door that was opened purposely for my entrance…I knew this much before it all hit the fan. So, ever so slowly, I whimpered and my sore feet that had stopped bleeding just a few moments ago slightly, and I mean slightly, blushed against the door, the whole thing blew up in my face, literally.

Turns out, the demented arrow was for the balloon that was attached to the doorway. Why spent money on a real arrow when you got a wooden board and a wood chipper?

As I dumbfoundedly watched as the string attached to the door knob twitched by the door's _slight_ movement, the other end of the string started to move, away from where I was left helpless on the floor.

Confused, I obviously watched the string pull the door open and a huge thump comes from the top drawer, where the string was. Then, a second later, this huge, big lump of a bowling ball rolls by me with the string attached to it and I could only watch, completely flabbergasted as the ball rolled until it hit a small mouse trap beneath the table.

Yeah, I was confused to why the guys would have a mouse trap, but the thought was answered a moment later when a twinge caused the mouse trap to be set off. As the mouse trap snapped in the air, a sudden flicker of light that had apparently come from the lighter next to it caused the string that was held conveniently above the lighter, to be set afire.

Of course, I was too confused and curious to see that there was a balloon of heavy liquid in it that was settled on top of me, unmoving, and I also didn't noticed how it was tipped over and some of the contents were already dripping heavily beside my hand through the small opening.

After that, it was all spontaneous.

The fire from the burning lighter burned the thin string in a matter of seconds and the string that was actually attached to the bucket, snapped off. Of course, I didn't look up until a loud bang came from above me and that was when all that heavy liquid – all that _honey_, fell on top of me.

Yup, all that honey, that sweet, viscid fluid, fell on top of me _and _my clean, washed hair I dried just last night after that struggle with that peanut butter.

My first reaction was to gape as that fluid fell on my face, and then to shut my eyes, dropping my head down so no more of the sweet, sticky honey would get into my shirt.

It all happened so fast, but it was one of that most stickiest, most unnerving event that had ever happened in my life.

That was when I saw it.

A small red piece of paper fell on my palm.

After the operation honey drop, I picked up the letter, my bangs surely covering half of my face and read what was on it.

I dropped that note…or tried to since I was covered in so much honey.

The scream of rage probably echoed all around the beach, stopping everyone on sight.

"Kagome?!"

I didn't bother look back. I didn't bother to answer the second time she called. I didn't even bother breathing…oh wait.

"Kagome?! Umm…can you…can you…kind of…"

I heard a hiss, sounding similar to Sango's chaste, and it was a bit muffled, as if she had something stuck in her throat and choking on it.

I heard a familiar sigh.

"Can you…help?"

Now, anyone would have had to snap their head back when something like this happened. Ayame? Ask for help?

This brought me a sudden flashback when she was moving the furnitures around for her liking, refusing to be helped by anyone. The result was nearly hyperventilating from the high temperature and still ranting on about how she didn't need to have any help.

As casually as you could with a sore foot and a sticky body, I started to stand up with both hands under me. It was actually a lot easier to stand up now, like a blessing in disguise. Kind of ironic how the messy honey made the slippery floor more…well, _not_ slippery.

Quickly, stumbling my way towards the kitchen, I tried to grab anything in sight to steady myself through the hallway, which left the wallpapers torn and nearly peeled off, but a desperate girl got to do what a desperate girl got to do.

It was as if I was walking on a battleground, what with honey dripping from my shirt each step I took, the floor shining with what looked to be…soap?!

"Ayame?"

As I turned to the hall that led to the kitchen, something unnerving caught my eyes. Green.

There were green handprints smeared on the walls and green liquid left on the floor, which I saw when I slipped when I fell on the floor (which wasn't the first). It was as if I was in a low-budget horror movie.

I couldn't help but gulp as I followed the trail of a very random green footprints on the hallway floor that looked as if it went all the way towards the kitchen.

"Sango?"

Remember the green blob thing I saw when I was sledding towards my doom?

There it was.

_Green **hair**_.

"Oh my lord…"

This was _definitely _a low-budget horror movie.

It was horrible, I tell you, horrible! Green hair…got did I feel so, so, _so_ sorry for her…

The kitchen floor was covered in a sticky substance, which I later found out was Elmer's glue (school style). The window was shielded with what looked to be…woman's undergarments, making the whole room more darker and the whole scene more dramatic to anyone else's eyes.

Ayame, in her bathrobe (which explains the soap in the hallway), was standing in the middle of the glue-covered floor…even to this day, I could never forget it. It's as if the image was purposely implanted in my head…

"Don't even _think_ about laughing."

Heck, the image _was_ purposely implanted in my head!

_"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" _

Did I laugh or _what_?! Oh I laughed like there was no tomorrow. If it wasn't for that killer glare of Ayame's, I would have laughed all morning. Heck, I would have laughed all night and day until I _killed_ myself laughing.

"Kagome!"

…sorry, sorry…but still…I had to give some kudos to the guys for going through all that plumbing plans to shoot green dye out of the shower head…god, I knew they were good, but…I mean _c'mon_!

Green Ayame.

…

Does anyone have a pillow?

A muffled scream caught my attention immediately.

I gaped.

Sango was tied to the sofa (obviously glued too, by the looks of it I mean), and she had a gag covering her mouth. The weird thing was there was something coming out of her mouth, dripping down her chin. Something in a form of a sandy, crystalline substance. Something that looked like salt…

I gaped (yet again).

Okay, I knew the guys were witty and very evil…but…oh they just had to shove it in. They just had the _worst_ sense of humor ever!

There was sugar coming out of Sango's mouth.

Whoever said you can't just add sugar to sweeten a person up, they never saw anyone like Sango, right then.

"S-Sango?"

She muffled out something, obviously nauseated, what with her still coughing out sugar and her cheeks still red. She was drunk. Drunk. I'll never know how the guys ever switched her coffee with their Sake…actually, I _don't_ want to know how they did just that.

"Kagome." Ayame cried in dismay, obviously not liking how she was still glued to the ground.

"Oh yeah…hey…greeny…"

Leave me alone! I couldn't help it! I mean, how many times do you see your friends all in green glued to the floor?! Oh how I wished I had a picture during that once in a lifetime moment…

"Kagome!" She yelled, obviously agitated. "Get over here and get me _out_ of here!"

I scrunched my nose. "Why don't you just use your brain for once and take off your slippers?"

Ayame was about to response with a obvious cuss, but she took a deep breath in and did what I just suggested. Still breathing deeply in and out, she, to my great confusion, jumped onto the couch, so she wouldn't step on anymore glue and gnawed her teeth.

"Kagome." She said calmly and casually as possible.

"What?" I replied, a bit hesitant.

"It's obvious what they're doing."

"…eh?"

"They want to separate us!" She exclaimed as she pointed at me and Sango. "Look what they're doing! Sango's tied up, drunk as possible and hacking up sugar, you're covered in honey, and my hair! It's green!" She reddened again. _"Green!"_ She yelled as if I hadn't already heard her scream.

"I heard, I heard!" I held my hand up in defense, trying to avoid all the spits flying at me. "What does that mean by 'separating' us, though?!"

"Didn't you get that note?!"

I opened my mouth, but that was when I remembered that red note that was still stuck to my hand when I tried to get off the floor.

The red note with those words I would never forget.

_ You're sweet as honey, _

_ She's green as the lily pad, _

_ So be like that tied up sugar, _

_ And run back to your dad… _

_ Love you not – The dog, the wolf, and the priest. _

_ P.S. The sugar doesn't have to run from the priest. _

_ P.S.S. The honey doesn't have to run from the wolf, either. _

…

I was _sooo _going to kill them.

**AN: **Next chapter – As Sweet as Honey Could Be

Kind of ominous for the boys, eh?


	8. As Sweet as Honey Could Be

It's pretty easy to judge someone by just looking at them, even if it's pretty inappropriate.

For example; think of yourself as a boss, or a manager, or whatever. The head honcho of a company that used to be a small business you started, and inexplicably grew into a large headquarter for an enormous shipping procedure.

…

(You start to wonder if I had thought this through, and the answer is yes. That used to be my dream before _someone _pulled me into this management.)

But anyway, onto the real problem.

So, one day you realize that you have a free space for an intern to come in and work their lazy butt off, so you do what you do and advertise the free space on the Internet.

_Bam! _

Dozens of e-mails and application forms fly at you after just one minute. So you choose your top five and plan a meeting for the five lucky interns to see who's the most qualified.

The day quickly comes and you have a little chat with the first three, which goes by pretty uneventfully. So far so good.

Then, without warning, a man comes in; shoving the other guy you just had your meeting with onto his rear and sits down on the seat in front of your desk as if he really was welcome.

You find out that he's the fourth intern – an intern with spiky hair, nose ring, and wearing his biker jacket. Even without looking at his application form, you immediately scratch him out.

After the funny little chat, the fifth and final comes in, politely in fact. Big muscle, straight hair, blue eyes…ooh, la, la, you're in _loooooove_.

Even knowing that he just came out of college, the biker guy two years more experienced, the other three from a University…you choose the hot guy.

Now when he malfunctions a computer, accidentally trashing all your files after a week after you accepted him…you start to wonder.

…

The point is, it's pretty easy to judge someone by their outside and not getting to know them first.

That was actually what my dad used to tell me right before he went to la-la land.

This exact thought ran through my mind as I dropped the red piece of paper, my bangs covering my eyes.

"Kagome?" Ayame asked, still on the couch and green as ever. "Kagome?"

I looked up, anger boiling below the surface. She visibly twitched.

"Ayame." I whispered as a very evil aura started to whiz around me, randomly.

"Yeah?"

"We're going to get to _know _them." I grinned, very evilly.

"And we're going to have _fun_ doing it."

Did I ever mention I love being evil?

**Get A Life! **

_Chapter Eight: As Sweet as Honey Could Be _

By Snowgirl AKA Sasari

"Kagome…"

It was already in the afternoon, which meant that the humidity in the vacation house was extra high. So naturally, we all sat on the benches in the balcony. It was pretty much hidden by the shadows, hiding us from any fan boys and also from the heat. It was like killing two birds with one stone.

"Yeah?" I replied behind my shade. "Anything wrong?"

Sango sighed. She was still a bit dizzy but more or not conscious. She had spent all morning trying to wash down the bitter taste of Sake and sugar in her mouth, brushing her teeth so harshly that her gums were now red, making her temporarily unable to speak.

"Yeah, there's something wrong." Ayame said, more relaxed than before as she laid on her bench, the beach umbrella above her. She was calmer since she had been in the shower all morning while Sango was trying to gurgle out the taste in the kitchen, leaving me, who was still a bit sticky, to clean up the glue-floored living room.

Life was so unfair…

I looked towards Ayame, who was still a bit green-skinned, unlike her hair, which was still completely green. Of course, she had given up on it and just wore a hat over, sparing her from any weird stares. "What then?"

"The plan."

I groaned. "I already explained to you guys about it."

"But still…" Since her hair was all stuffed in the huge beach hat, she didn't have anything to twist her finger around, so she complied with just tapping her stomach. "It's just…really risky, I guess."

I shrugged, turning back to look up at the sky once again. "I told you, that's the only way we could ever level up to what they did to us, even better maybe."

"I don't know…I mean, why can't we just, I don't know, burn their clothes or something?"

"Then they'll just have fun showing off their balls at girls in bikini on the beach."

"Oh…you have a point there."

I sat up, looking directly at Ayame. "That's the thing with man. No matter what, they all have egos, and they'll do _anything_ to keep them. So we have to aim for their dignity." I nodded towards Sango, seeing that she was also paying attention. "If we keep on continuing these practical jokes at each other, there's no way this is ever going to end." I grinned. "Now, if we do it _my_ way…that's a different story."

Ayame was visibly tense as she exchanged glances with Sango, who was also nervous as she was. "I don't know Kagome…"

"C'mon guys! What could go wrong?!"

The both gave me a very awkward look. "Everything about it."

"Well," I scoffed. "Do _you _have any better ideas?" I looked at both Ayame and Sango, both looking extremely worried.

There were a few tense moments as I waited for an answer. Finally Ayame answered, speaking for the both of them. "Alright Kagome…we'll do it your way."

I smiled, this time, truly happy. "You won't regret this, guys."

Oh how right I was…

**--- **

"Can you speak?"

We were inside the house now, since it was nearly evening as the lights started to fade. I tried to hover around Sango, seeing if she was out of that momentary speechless state.

She opened her mouth, trying to clench and unclench her teeth. She smiled, seeing that it wasn't painful anymore. Then she licked her gum and everything went downhill from there. She winced and bit her tongue.

"Ay ugh me tenth girth!"

I looked at her funnily. "Err…you had your tenth birth?"

She visibly fumed and screamed in rage, obviously still annoyed at her temporary muteness.

I sighed. "It's alright Sango; you can act as if you're a shy girl. That way, they'll suspect even less." She 'humph'-ed and crossed her arms above her chest, but obviously content on the idea.

"Now, about your hair…"

She visibly tensed, then glared at me with her menacing aura around her, as if daring for me to even touch it.

"…or we could just pretend you're from China or something…how's that?" I quickly changed my mind, holding my hand up in innocence. She smiled in satisfaction.

"Kagome-!" Ayame whined from the bathroom.

"What?!"

"I don't want to do this!!!" She came out with a bathrobe on, obviously annoyed and mad. "Why can't _you_ be the one to do this?!"

"For the hundredth time…" I sighed, getting up from the couch. "…you're more skilled at this manipulation thing, and I'm not good with that stuff. You're also more used to this make-up stuff, and I still have an issue with that. And besides…" And I pointed to her head, which was hidden by a towel. "Do you really want to walk around with _green_ hair?"

She opened her mouth, ready to retaliate, but thought otherwise. After a few minutes, she sighed. "Alright, I'll dye my hair, but still, there's no way I could cover my greenish skin."

"Just use your make-up or something. Sango will help." I pulled her off the couch and pushed her towards Ayame.

"Have fun doing that girly stuff!"

They both growled at me in unison. "You speak it like it's a bad thing…"

"I'd rather be a tomboy, thank you very much."

**--- **

I wouldn't call it insomnia, but more like a sure way to make sure no one gets into our triple room. Besides, I think the other two girls did the same like me, since there was much shuffling in the night. Or maybe they were just having bad dreams; I would never know.

I kept still the whole night, unmoving and my breathing shallow. I didn't _try _to fall asleep, and I wasn't exactly uncomfortable either. Guess it was one of those times where you just stay up the whole night and don't even feel like you wasted your energy the next morning.

When the sun rose, the plan was set.

I made sure that there were footsteps from the hallway, making sure the boys left with their surfboards out the front door. I guess they thought we gave up on the gender-battle or something, since they haven't seen us after that 'practical' joke.

They were going to pay for that fatal move.

"Okay guys." I whispered when a muffled sound of a door closing reached my ear. "Let's set the plan into action."

On cue, Sango sat up from her so-called sleeping position and stepped off her bed, followed suit by Ayame, who drew a bottle of orchid colored chemical.

I hid a smile beneath my cover.

Quietly, both of them made their way to the bathroom, while I got to sleep in on my comfy bed.

Not that they approved of it.

"Kagome!" I heard a hiss after an hour or so. "Get over here, now!"

I remember grumbling incoherent words. I stepped off the bed, after checking if there was any pins on the floor, and walked to the door while scratching my messy head.

With a grunt I pushed the door open and stumbled my way towards the kitchen, where I found Sango cleaning up the dishes.

"Is Ayame done yet?" I asked, forgetting that Sango couldn't answer. She just looked as me sarcastically.

"Guys?!" came a voice from the bathroom.

"Yeah?"

"Can any of you help me with the make-up…I can't really move around with my hair like this…"

I looked at Sango who was looking at me.

"Hey, you go help her and _I'll_ do the dishes." She gave me a weird look. "What? I don't know anything about make-ups!"

I pushed her towards the hallway. "Besides," I mumbled. "Better you than me."

After washing the dishes and sitting in the kitchen chair for another painfully, long hour or so, I started to pace around the breakfast table. If Sango hadn't come out a few minutes later, I swear I would have started biting my nail.

"Finally!" I raised my hands in the air to show how annoyed (and impatient) I was. "Honestly Sango, how long _does _changing one's appearance to look like another entirely different person who's suppose to be from another country take?!"

She didn't even answer that, but just ignored me with a satisfied smile and presented the new and totally different Ayame who was right…behind…her…

…

Even now, I still remember how shocking the sight was. If I hadn't come up with the whole idea, I would have been thinking that she was a stranger from the beach.

Instead of green, Ayame's hair was now orchid, or otherwise commonly known as pinkish purple. Sango had taken the liberty to add extensions to Ayame's hair, since she was a master at perfecting anyone's appearances…even if it meant adding human hair that once belonged to a different person and attaching it to another, just to add this so-called 'style'.

I wouldn't have even done that for a million bucks…fake hair…on my hair…that just gives me the shivers.

Anyway, Ayame's hair now reached all the way below her chest. Though it could have seemed very long because for once she had her hair down and just attached a small amount of extension or something. She hard her hair up in a half-ponytail and was wearing a violet colored bikini that complemented her fake hair. Sango had gone even far as to add color to Ayame's eyebrows, which was now blondish like her eyelashes, and her green eyes were now blue, thanks to whatever kind of contact Sango gave her.

Her cheeks were a bit too red; probably from the tan she had tried to get yesterday to get the greenish color fade away from her skin, or maybe to look as if she had been in the beach longer than she ever was.

I, obviously, gaped.

"A-Ayame?!" I couldn't believe it. She did _not _look like Ayame. She looked more like…

"Ayi."

"…what?"

"Ayi." Ayame…I mean this unnamed pinkish purple haired girl repeated. "Ayi is my new name now."

I quickly caught on (surprisingly). "Oh…_riiiiight_…Ayi." I smiled sheepishly. "Would you want a coffee with that?"

"Shut up." Ayame, I mean, 'Ayi', hissed. "I looked up at the Internet. It said the name Ayi creates a very independent, practical, analytical nature with skillful business abilities. You desire freedom from restrictions and authority in order that you can pursue your own ambitions. Material and financial success are the focus of your interests, but sacrificing much for material ambition will result in a lack of harmony and balance in your personal life, particularly a lack of appreciation for social courtesies and things of a more inspirational nature. Since you often appear to be too unfeeling, factual, and calculating in your dealings with others, your personal happiness and fulfillment can suffer through difficulty in conveying your feminine qualities of love and affection. Health problems centre in the head affecting the eyes, ears, sinuses, or teeth. Also, tension could afflict the female generative organs."

…

Obviously, the make-up and the hair had changed how Ayame looked on the outside, but inside, she was still the same…annoying and obnoxious…Ayame.

"…wait, you mean you used _my_ laptop?!"

She groaned. "Oh never mind." She pulled up a seat in the kitchen table. "In short, it just means the name fits the character I'm going to be 'acting'."

"Oh? And how are you going to 'act'?"

Ayi shrugged. "You know…kind of sluttish and bitchy…maybe showing off body parts intentionally and not even caring a darn thing about it."

"I guess that sounds good." I smiled my evil smile. "So, you guys get my plan, right?"

"Yeah." Ayi leaned onto the table. "And I still don't like it." Sango nodded, indicating that she agreed with Ayi.

"C'mon guys!" I urged on, pushing my chair off as I abruptly stood up. "It'll be easy. Look, today is the first day of our long-period plan, so Ayame, or Ayi, goes alone to see what the guys are always up to on the beach. The 2nd day, Sango and I'll be out on the beach too, after you get the goods, spying on your progress to get spotted by the guys. After that, Sango will follow suit as some kind of imposter and then _maybe _I'll join you guys on the beach."

"Hey! What'd you mean, 'maybe'?!"

I ignored her. "Now the complicated part is, while the second day when Sango and I are spying, you'll have to get noticed by the guys, and get close to them too. Then you'll have to introduce your 'friend', Sango, and make up some kind of story behind this friendship. That's when you have to start warming up to them. You know, seduce out some info out of their lives or something. Then backstab them without them noticing by selling the info on the Internet."

Ayi was visibly uncomfortable now. "But that's the problem. I mean, wouldn't this send you in a guilt trip or something?"

"After what they did to me…and you…I don't think feeling guilty will be _any _problem."

"But," It was obvious by now that by the looks Sango was giving, and how Ayi was trying to get out of this with excuses, they were obviously _not _happy with this so-called plan. "Can't we just sell their underwear on the Internet instead?!"

"Can't do."

"Why?!"

"They locked all their clothes away in the room after I did just that last week."

Her eye's widened, and I knew why she was shocked.

"I know, I know. I didn't feel like letting any of you in on it-"

"No, it's not _that_."

"Then…what?"

"I just can't believe they do their own laundries!"

"…Ayi…please focus on the situation."

She frowned. "Don't treat me as if I'm you."

"The thing is," I shouted. "If we just let the guys think we're weak, their already overlarge ego is going to grow, and they'll really start harassing you." I looked at Sango, knowing her sensitive spot. "Right, _Sugar_? Of have you forgotten about…_Priest?_"

That hit the spot.

Sango's calm eyes immediately turned dark, anger radiating off of her form that was literally forming electricity.

Ayi was a bit more hesitant, though. "I don't know…"

"Are you going to let _Wolf_ push you around like that, _Lily_?"

She glared at me. "You're real _sweat_, _Honey_."

"And I love being just that."

So a few minutes later, Ayi was already getting weighed down by all the equipments we were giving her.

"Hold on, hold on!" She screamed as she dropped everything we gave her. "Who or what do you expect me to be?! The master of disguise of something?"

I looked at Sango as we exchanged glances. I looked back at Ayi. "Basically…yeah."

"Guys-!" she moaned. "I can't hold all this while trying to be in the crowd on the beach!"

"Can't you bring a few cameras with you?" Few, was an understatement, but I was kind of enjoying this, so stay with me, will ya?

"A few?!" She caught on really quickly. "And what's with all this books?!" She held up one of a thick volume called…"_Tricks On How To Spy?!_"

I shrugged. "It _could _come in helpful, you know."

She threw down the rest of the books and only held on to the camera that was around her neck with a black string. "Whatever. I'm supposed to blend in the crowd, and I'm not going to mess it up by following all your crazy rules!" She screamed in may face and stomped to the front door, making sure to slam the door when she was out.

Maybe the amount of dye on her hair was just too much for her poor brain to take on.

Before I could utter a word to the also astounded Sango, the door slammed back open. Ayi came back in and grabbed the roll of film on the kitchen table and stomped back to the doorway. Before she slammed the door, however, she turned to me and growled. "Your tips are lousy too!" Then she slammed the door shut.

I just stared at the abused door in wonderment until Sango tapped me on the shoulder.

I turned to her and saw her mouth the exact words I was just thinking of.

My response was a sigh and a nod. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Without much more words, I went to the closet, shouting over to Sango, "You want to play monopoly?!" (Though obviously getting no answer in return.) I made my way towards the kitchen and settled the game board on the table. "I guess this kinds of sets back our plan, doesn't it?"

Sango nodded in agreement.

I walked to the phone. As I pulled out the yellow phonebook from the kitchen counter, I turned to Sango.

"You want to order some pizza to celebrate Ayame's first PMS while being somebody else?"

Sango gave a toothy smile and gave two thumb's up.

I smiled back.

"Good, because you're paying since I'm broke."

I never knew what'd hit me when she pushed her chair back and hit me senseless upside the head.

**AN: **So dizzy…my throat…so very dry…I can' breathe through my nose…so sleepy…maybe I should do my homework now…anyway, so sorry for the late update. I kind of had to catch up on my work and get through this really annoying bug or something…ah well, at least I got I still feel unsafe ever since someone got into my account. ¬¬ Rotten luck…


	9. A Vacation from a Vacation

"Unbelievable!"

Sango couldn't even respond (half in shock, half still mute).

Ayame was in a very quiet mode.

"I can't _believe_ this!" I bursted, again, flipping down another photograph on the coffee table. You could say I was _purely _disgusted. All over the floor, coffee table, and the couch were bunches of pictures taken by Ayame…I mean _Ayi_, who had returned just an hour ago (with a nice tan if I may say so).

I had no idea what was going to happen when she gave me the already produced photographs.

"Three hours. I mean three _freaking_ hours and what happens?!" I banged my fist on the table, but soon after that I pulled my sore fist back and blew on it in pain.

"What?" Ayame asked in an unusually small voice.

"This!" I pointed to all the pictures on the table. "I mean, how can they _possibly_ ask so many girls on a date in _three _stinking hours?!"

Sango scrunched her nose.

Ayame just looked down with a flushed face.

I was so disgusted. I shook my head. "Sango, I know you can't speak right now, but Ayame…how can you be so quiet in a time like this?! They are playing with our fellow, quite stupid but naïve, female species!" I shouted. "They're playboys!...not that we didn't know that or anything, but…"

Ayame looked a bit squirmy, but it could have been her orchard hair that made her look so innocent. "It's just…"

"What?" I closed in with one eye sharper than the other on her. "Are you hiding something?"

"…"

"Well?"

"…"

I was getting really annoyed. "_Well?!_"

"It's just…" Suddenly, Ayame clasped both cheeks with her hands and blushed a few shades of red. "I just can't believe I actually took _pictures_ of them…from behind an ice cream stand even…I feel so…_spy-ish_!"

I exchanged glances with Sango, who had backed up on the couch in front of us. She gave me an odd glance and nodded. I mouthed 'mood-swing' while Ayame was still looking down, but she had this invisible antenna on her head that I could never see.

She immediately looked up as soon as Sango nodded and glared at Sango then me. "What did you say?"

I looked at her innocently. "Nothing! Nothing…" I glanced down at the table again so she couldn't see the guilt in my eyes, since I wasn't your best liar in the world…that was when I spotted something…

"Hey!" I exclaimed with wide eyes down at one of the pictures.

"What?" Ayame followed my gaze, as did Sango. "What is it?"

I reached for the particularly disturbing picture with shaking hands. I pulled the photograph up close to my face.

It was another same picture; Inuyasha and the others with some girls in bikini, whispering who-knows-what in their ears. They were standing in front of the ice cream stand Ayame was near to, so she was relatively close to them. It looked as if she had taken the picture in a not-so-obvious fashion, since half of Miroku's head was sort of cut off. She was probably pretending to drink a pop or something, since the camera was obviously set on a beach table with a beach umbrella over it. The weird part was how she wasn't the only one spying…

"Look at this." I hissed as I showed the picture to Ayame and Sango, who were leaning in. "Look at the right part of the picture."

There it was. A gaijin (foreign) man with blondish hair that reached to his neck. I couldn't tell the color of his eyes because he was taking a picture of something…and the camera was directly aimed at the photograph Ayame had taken. It wouldn't have looked so suspicious if he wasn't so hidden in the shadows and looked as if he wanted to be unidentified.

"What the…" Ayame frowned. "I didn't see him when I took that picture…"

"Holy crud…" I whispered. "He was spying on _you!_"

She was taken aback by this. "No way! You're obviously over exaggerating this whole thing. There has to be a _reasonable_ explanation for all this…" But she still had a really worried look.

Suddenly, the wall-phone rang, nearly making all of us fall on our heads.

"Next time, be more careful, okay?" I called to Ayame as I picked up the receiver.

Don't take me wrong, getting phone calls in summer houses were weird, but I was a bit too preoccupied by this whole situation, so I quickly shoved that thought away.

"Hello?" I nearly said 'moshi moshi' (Japanese way of greeting on the phone).

I stayed liked that for nearly a whole minute before I screamed.

"_What?!" _

**Get A Life! **

_Chapter Nine: A Vacation from a Vacation _

By Snowgirl AKA Sasari

I couldn't believe it (for the third time in a row).

I had never been good with luck, and I didn't think I would start now.

Every time I struck something that had to do with luck, it was always known as _'KSDL'_ AKA, '_Kagome's Dumb Luck_'. Though _I_, on the other hand, called it _Dumb Skills_, with my 'skill' in Rock-Paper-Scissors. I was a master of it, if I do say so myself.

But needless to say, I was in a state of shock.

"Yahoo? Kagome?" Ayame waved her hand in front of my face. "Hey!"

Sango was right beside her, snapping her fingers at my face. "…Ka…go…me…?" She had been able to say small words since evening.

But I just sat there. Completely covered in shock.

"Uh…oh…" Sango muttered as she turned her head towards the door. "Hear…boys…laughing…"

Ayame paused from waving her hand in front of my face and turn to look at Sango. "Are you serious?"

Sango nodded and hurriedly stood up. "Going." And she was gone, just like that.

"Oh crud." Ayame groaned. "I got to hide my hair!" She complained as she hurried out of the living room and covered her head with her arm, acting as if there were cameras in the sky (or ceiling).

As soon as I heard a loud _bam_ from the narrow hallway, my ears immediately caught the laughs and taunting voices of those crazy hooligans; namely, the _Dog_, the _Wolf_ and the _Priest_.

"So what the girl say?" the familiar voice (probably Miroku) cried merrily. There was a pause in their footsteps and there was an obvious change in direction. They were probably going to talk on the porch (obviously trying to act cool or something).

"What do you think?" a smooth voice asked (Inuyasha). There was a momentary pause before they all bursted out laughing. Inside joke, probably…

"What about you, Kouga?" Inuyasha asked. "Any girl you saw? Other than that odd pink-haired girl?"

_Odd pink-haired girl?! _I held my breath. It seemed as if Ayi would need to be a better spy.

"Hey, I thought that pink-haired girl was hot!"

I sighed. Miroku would never change.

"Nah, they're all the same these days." Kouga said, and there were some mumbles of agreement. "But you know, I think I'm going to ask the same thing to…what's-her-name? Kagome?"

I nearly fell off my seat. _What's-her-name?!_

"What?! My sister?" Miroku seemed really shocked.

"Yeah, got any problem with that?"

He didn't answer. If I wasn't half out of it, I think I would have been pissed.

"Well, I'm not really interested in that girl. Looks too much like Kikyou." Inuyasha said. There was a pause, as if he was shivering out of fear more than cold. "Really freaks me out, ya know?"

"I get what ya mean." Kouga agreed.

I really didn't know what got over me. Somewhat confused and angry, I guess. With a blink of an eye, I sighed and stumbled out of the couch, stepping out of the carpet and walking towards the triple bedroom through the small hallway. Someone really needed to renovate this place.

Before I touched the steel doorknob, though, I looked down at the piece of paper clasped inside my hand. With one eyebrow lifted up, I looked towards the other rooms in the summer house. Looking from the paper to the doors, I shrugged.

Mind as well…

**--- **

**_-Briiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!- _**

A toothy smile tugged at my lips. I just couldn't help it.

I looked down at my wrist watch. 8:00 am. Right on time.

There were numerous thumps on the floor, indicating that three or all of them had fallen on to the floor.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

…And some had even landed on each other…

I chuckled my very evil chuckle. This was _so _amusing.

"Who the hell set up my alarm clock?!" Two rough voices shouted in unison. Probably Kouga and Inuyasha, since Miroku was (frighteningly) a morning _and _a night person. I don't know how he did it, but he was…

"Ow-!" There was a moan from the triple room. "Get off of me!"

"You move your knee." I guess Sango had gotten over her muteness problem.

"You move your elbow!"

"Is that Kagome's foot?

"No…that' _my _ankle…"

"…" An odd pause. Then…

"Where's Kagome…?"

There was another pause before there was a collective yell. **_"Kagome!" _**

I looked at my wrist watch again. Interesting. It took them 55 seconds to find out who the culprit was. I didn't think they were so smart…

As I heard heavy footsteps, there was a bang from the boys' room too, who had probably heard their yell and had gone looking for me.

There was a stampede of yells and screams as they tried to squeeze their way through the tiny hallway and bursted into the kitchen.

I tried not noticing the three (bad haired) males and two (stone-age looking) females as I sipped my mocha. Light chocolate in the morning…ahh…what could be better than that?

"Kagome-!" Miroku growled threateningly, used to my behaviors than even the girls. "Why the hell did you set my-"

"Our!" The other four yelled.

Miroku ignored them and kept on continuing though. "-alarms clock up!"

I just sipped my mocha and looked at Miroku with bored eyes. "Manners, Miroku, manners."

I just loved it when he went crazy.

"Can it sis! It's our vacation! Why'd go and do something like _that?!_"

I had to use all my might in not trying to burst out at him for the red paper with the poem on it, though my hand did shake a bit, causing some mocha to spill on the table as I set it down.

"Speaking of vacations…" I opened my eyes. "I was thinking of taking a vacation."

There was a confused pause before Ayame replied. "Kagome, this _is _our vacation…sadly…" She eyed Kouga, who got the point and stared back with the same electric look, though it was most certainly not love in the air.

"That's what I mean. We need to go somewhere different. This whole thing's just not working out."

Sango got my point. She frowned and sat beside me on the kitchen table. "Okay Kagome, what do you have for us?" She sure was talkative now.

I took a piece of paper from my pocket. There was a scribble of numbers or some sorts. "Remember this?"

Sango looked at it questioningly. "Err…yeah, you wrote that number down when you answered the phone."

"Exactly."

"Where is this going, wench?" Inuyasha growled, still in a bad mood. He got elbowed by both Kouga and Miroku. Awww…how sweet, Miroku still cared…I can't say same for Kouga though…

"This is the address to where we pick up our flight tickets."

Another pause, then, _"What?!" _

"The phone call I got last night…" I smiled my mysterious smile. "…it was from a radio station that handpicked the phone numbers to be the three winners. Naturally, with my _dumb skills_, I picked up the phone on the right time and I won some tickets."

I picked up the mocha and sipped from the cup again. "We'll be leaving in a week."

Everyone was speechless. I was the center of attention for the first time. I _loved_ it.

"Wait…" Miroku eyed me suspiciously, pulling a chair so he could set across from me. Only he knew why I would be this happy for some lousy one-week-vacation. "Where _exactly_ are we going?"

I looked at Miroku with such malicious eyes that he didn't need any answers. The twinkle in my eyes said it all.

I answered for the others to hear, though.

"We're going…" I held the moment, loving every second of it. I could just see Miroku shiver. Revenge was mine. "…to…" I licked my lips to get the mocha stains off of my lips. "…_a cruise_."

**AN: **A major plot twister. You'll see what I'm talking about soon enough….

Oh yeah, and sorry for the short chapter, but if I kept on going, it'll just ruin the surprise, so it wouldn't have been like one of those boring chapters where nothing really exciting happens and everything just gets even more confusing, because it was so mixed up. So the next chapter will probably be especially long, but I'm not promising anything. It's as if I can't hold a promise these days…-.-'''


	10. Starry Sweetness

"Hehehehe…"

Okay, so I couldn't stop chuckling. So sue me…

Ayame and Sango were trying to figure me out, and I didn't mind it at all. I just couldn't get this one word out of my mind though…

_Revenge… _

"Mwahahahaha…"

I was probably making the foreign cab driver nervous too, since he was giving me a very queer look over the rearview mirror.

"Okay, Kagome, spill it." Sango demanded, taking full flight of her now usable voice. "You're really freaking us out. _Including _the cab driver."

"And not to mention you've been like this ever since we picked up those cruise tickets nearly a week ago." Ayame added, a bit reluctant since we were getting weird glances from the driver, probably because we were all talking in Japanese.

I tried to talk to them as normally as possible, I really tried, but as soon as I took a breath in, all I got out was – "Hehehehehehe…"

Sango and Ayame both slapped their hands to their foreheads in unison and chorused together. _"Doh."_

Needless to say, the driver was getting very uncomfortable.

Ayame shifted in her seat. I could have related to her uncomfortable feeling, since we were all sitting in the back seat of the cab, the boys in the cab that was following our trail right behind us. Not one of us wanted to sit in the front, since this was the prime time to gossip. Of course, I had no such care for those things, except I just had to get this thing off of my chest. I just wanted to spread the joy, that was all. Aren't I so innocent?

"I'm getting really nervous with Kagome. She's starting to scare me…"

"Yeah, you're not alone…" Sango looked at me suspiciously.

"Okay…Hehehe…okay…I'll spill the beans…Hehehe…"

_"Without chuckling."_ Sango and Ayame said dully together.

…Yup, the driver was definitely getting freaked out by now.

"Okay…okay…-clears throat-…let me just, you know, calm down a bit…" I took a deep, calming breath. "…alrighty…remember that time when Miroku took the cruise in the Pacific Ocean?"

"Huh?"

"…oh…oops, I thought I told you guys already…"

"Well, you obviously haven't." Sango frowned. "So, what's the deal?"

I really had to bite my tongue to not giggle again. "Well…let me think…oh yeah…this was how it went…"

** Get A Life! **

_ Chapter Ten: Starry Sweetness _

By: Snowgirl

**_-2 years ago…- _**

6 AM…Pacific Time.  July 24th, 1994

_"Miroku!!!"_ The 13 years-old Kagome shouted as she held her laptop under one arm and her palm pilot in her other hand. Needless to say, she looked exactly like how she was going to look like in 2 years.

"Miroku! Miroku you idiot, the ship's going to leave without us!"

As she stumbled her way towards the huge white ship, another form stepped out of the yellow taxi.

The 17 years-old Miroku yawned. "Man, sis. Why do we have to wake up this early?"

Kagome didn't hear Miroku's groan, since she was already making her way towards the dock.

Miroku sighed and rubbed his eyes as he shut the taxi door, and stretched, letting the fresh air take over his senses. Of course, he had to cough when the car drove away and a huge fume erupted from its exhaust pipe.

What a fine, fine morning it was…

_"Miroku!!!" _

"I'm coming, I'm coming…" Miroku opened his eyes again and realized that his little 'sis' had already gotten aboard the slick, _black _ship. "Yeesh…and I didn't think she was a morning person…" He yawned again and followed the form that he _thought_ was his sister…

Kagome sighed again. Her back was killing her as she loaded the last of the luggage onto their suite. The room they got wasn't that bad, but there wasn't any complementary chocolate on the pillows…

Minus 2 stars from the 5 stars rating…

"Man…not even a single chocolate…You're out of luck…Mi…ro…ku…" She turned around to see that no one else was behind her in the room.

"What the-?"

"Oh man-" Miroku yawned as he looked around the ship for his sister. He had lost her when he noticed some of the complimentary chocolates on the table beside the entrance. The whole ship was dark and smelled oddly like…_cologne_…_very_ strong cologne…

He went through the maze-like hallways and finally came out to a rather large gathering…

Oddly enough, the first thing he noticed was they were all…males…

He shrugged. _Must be an all-male-gathering… _

Actually, he hadn't seen one female on this ship when he came aboard, though his sister…hold on…

Miroku frowned.

Now the he remembered…she didn't wear suits…

Then Miroku felt something slap against his posterior. And by the feel of that offending hand, it was a muscular hand. No woman would have that hand. That was when he realized something his sister had said when the cab had stopped on their arrival. When he was too tired to reply or hear her properly.

_"Yeesh…I can't believe they have a Gay-party Cruise right beside that Disney Cruise…I bet all those parents had to cover their kid's eyes when they boarded…" _

Miroku's face whitened and realized the numerous eyes (all from mans) on him.

This was the _Gay Cruise_…the wrong ship…

**-Flashback Mode Ends- **

"…so, he's been traumatic about cruises ever since…"

Ayame and Sango watched with bulging eyes. "Oh…wow…"

"I know…that was the reason why he leapt off the ship and swam all the way towards the Virgin Islands…he said he got his butt groped by enough _man _that his reincarnation would even remember it…" A grinned cracked my mouth.

Sango looked at Ayame, and then Ayame looked at Sango. Then they did the expected.

_"Oh my gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad!!!" _

The driver of the taxi completely freaked out and swerved to the wrong lane, nearly crashing into another car. The taxi following behind us also lost control, since they were supposed to follow our cab and confusion obviously fell on them.

Our driver glared at us, but he probably gave that up when he noticed us giggling like crazy; like a bunch of normal gossiping girls.

Ayame kept on laughing, teardrops forming in her eyes, but Sango was probably the loudest.

"Oh lord, now I really feel sorry for him!" Sango laughed so hard she cried. "I mean, the woman-loving Miroku in a _Gay _ship? Oh god that's hilarious!"

They probably kept on laughing like that for god knows how long, but by the time we finally made it to the dock, they were still giggling like mad.

The three of us all got out, still girly as ever. Oddly enough, the driver also got out and opened the back trunk and started 'dumping' our luggages out, literally. I'm probably sure the driver was glad we go out. Besides, he didn't even ask for a tip.

As the taxi drove away, the guys from the other cab got out, all carrying their small bags over their shoulder.

"Man, what kind of service do they run around here?" Kouga muttered.

Inuyasha was pocketing his wallet. "56 bucks. What a waste of money…hey, dude, you alright?"

The two guys both nudged Miroku, who looked close to zoned out. "You look as if you just got neutered or something…"

This sent Ayame and Sango into another giggle-fit, though not before both of them looked at one another with a grin. I would have laughed too, but I lost all my humor chuckling in the taxi.

Of course, Kouga and Inuyasha just ignored us like usual and only shrugged, thinking we were just gossiping to annoy them. Miroku was still standing, as if in La-La Land.

"Okay, c'mon guys." I waved to the two giggling girls. "Get your stuff. Doesn't seem as if the guys' going to get our stuff for us…"

The girls didn't mind, since they were still amused and followed the two guys towards the nearly deserted dock, where our cruise ship floated on the blue liquid of water.

I was about to follow them too when I remember something.

"Hey, Miroku!"

Turning around with a very bored look, I reached out to grab his forearm. "Hey! Are you awake?!"

I was just about to start dragging him towards our group that was already getting aboard, when a glimpse of something flashy caught my eyes. I probably wouldn't have seen the shadowed figure if Miroku hadn't groaned in response to my firm grip.

The form near the huge packaging boxes immediately disappeared when the person noticed that I had caught the flash from its camera. The oddest thing was that he looked awfully like that gaijin guy from the picture Ayame took during her spying mission…but knowing my paranoid ways, I just brushed that thought away and thought that he was another one of those annoying early-bird reporters. Besides, dawn had yet to crack. I was too sleepy to really notice anything queer going around here anyways.

Shaking my head, I dragged Miroku towards the ship with a humongous yawn.

** --- **

_"Janken Poi!" _

Ayame and I winced in unison.

"Doh!"

Sango smiled that Cheshire cat smile of hers. "I'm the master of _'Rock, Paper, Scissors'_!"

Ayame sighed. "Always the rock…darn it, I know I should have used paper…"

"Whatever, let's just get to our rooms…" I grumbled, annoyed that Sango got the Master-sized bedroom of our row. Whatever happened to my dumb-skills? "I got us here in the first place and you take the room I deserve…"

Sango shrugged. "Tough luck."

_"Hey!" _

Me and the girls looked to the rooms opposite of ours and watched as Miroku started to pick up his stuff. "Hey, I won the _Janken _fair and square! Besides, I need the huge room!"

"What for?" Inuyasha and Kouga growled in unison.

"For safety and privacy!" That was the last thing he said before he closed the door behind him in a rush for his haven. The _'Master-sized'_ sign on the door shook because of the force of how hard Miroku had closed it. I guess Miroku got his way in the same game too.

The two guys left outside muttered incoherently, but immediately stopped when they saw us staring at them.

_"What?!" _

Sango shrugged, thought with a hint of a giggle and quietly went into _her_ Master-sized room.

Ayame and I were on the same boat with Kouga and Inuyasha (didn't meet to be so cliché), though we would never admit that to each other.

"C'mon." I took my luggage and picked the farthest room towards the stairs. "I'll be in this room."

"Okay, I'll be in this room between yours and Sango's."

"K, see ya later then." I said to Ayame as I stepped into my room.

My first impression was the view; it was just _incredible_.

The silk covered mattress was kept spit-shined cleaned and there was actually a complementary chocolate on the silk pillows this time. Although, I had to admit, it was a bit too…red. Every one of the lamps was covered in a red handkerchief, though the windows showing the dock was still the core of the comfort in the room.

…of course, knowing that Inuyasha was right across my room wasn't exactly very much comfortable…

I looked behind me and went to shut the door as Inuyasha started to open his from across my room. For some odd reason, he looked behind him as he began to close his door and for an electric moment, our eyes met; hazel with amber.

We both paused, and then closed our door in unison.

When I went back into my room, I blinked, once, and then twice…then the third time and I finally realized what had just happened.

"…what the-?"

** --- **

_"You jeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerk!!!" _

I looked up as I stood up, taking the can out of the vending machine. Yup, the show had already started. I leaned back on the vending machine and popped the lid open. Ahh…nothing like a _Sprite_ in the morning…

"Ha! You'll never catch me!"

Not too soon, the ever so familiar 'wolf' ran into the laundry room, holding a spray can. And before the door that ricocheted on the wall because of Kouga's force could close again, it was banged open again by his pursuer, who was none other than Ayame…wearing a rather impressively painted white shirt, that said _'Kick Me'_ all around the shirt, and might I add that it was very colorful…

_"I'm going to kill you!!!" _Ayame yelled, her pupils so small it looked as they were just dots, and a huge vein popped out of her head. She, truly, reminded me of Godzilla…though just for a moment.

I sipped the drink as I watched this very amusing chase, which was between Kouga running away, laughing madly, and Ayame chasing him with a broom she grabbed just as she came into the laundry room. They probably ran around the room in circles for probably a few minutes before Kouga actually realized that he had an audience.

He immediately stopped, causing Ayame to crash into him. He ignored her and came up to me, though not too close.

"What a fine morning it is, yes Kagome-san?" He smiled, looking at me with a friendly glint.

I smiled, though I guess it was obviously fake and plastered on to my face. "Yeah, it is, isn't it?" I leaned sideways to see Ayame. "Don't you think so too, Ayame?"

"Oh yes, a fine morning it will be…if I can _beat the hell out of him!!!_" She growled and screamed out the last part as she brought down the broom hard onto his skull.

He blanched, or I think he did a little, but it didn't look as if it hurt him at all…

…yup, thickskulled more or less…

"Well, I got to go, bye now Kagome." He smiled again before he dashed from out of my sight and out the door.

Ayame stood just where he was before, and blinked. Then the Godzilla-Ayame came back and it suddenly became warm in the laundry room…

_"Come back here!!!" _She screamed as she, too, disappeared within seconds and her footsteps became in sync with Kouga's.

There was a very audible, _"Nya- nya, nya, nya- nya-"_ before their footsteps disappeared.

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Hehehe…they'll never change…"

"And is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

Sighing, I took another sip. "Don't know; I just got used to it, though."

Sango yawned as she came in, something in her hand.

"You tired?" I raised my eyebrow.

"Nah, I just took a nap. I think Miroku did the same too."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, he snores like a pig in the afternoon."

I snorted, trying to keep my laughter in control while still drinking my _Sprite_. "He'll never change."

"Yeah…" Sango sighed. "Too bad, though."

"Why? If you think about it, you guys are a lot alike."

She eyed me warily. "I'm still in a good mood, so you're lucky."

"Wow, I didn't think you were a morning person."

"I'm not." She looked down at her paper. "Oh, and speaking of being a morning person…"

I looked down at the paper she handed to me. "_S.S.T Welcoming Party for All Teens_?" Yeah, it just sounded very queer…I looked up at Sango. "What's this all about?"

"Yeah, I know, a lame title, but read on."

I followed what she said.

_S.S.T Newsletter- _

_ We would like to welcome every one of all ages that are aboard our humble ship and have an all-out party. Of course, we will separate the age-groups by children, from teens, to adults. The welcoming party will start at _ _6 pm__ and last until _ _midnight__ and the individual parties will be held in separate floors. If you would like more information, please contact one of the members of our crew. _

_ Hope you enjoy your trip aboard the S.S.T _

_-Captain Jackson _

"…umm…" I looked up at Sango. "And the point is…?"

"Oh come on, Kagome! You have to come with us!" She urged.

"…us?"

"Well…I already told Ayame, and Kouga sort of found out on his own…that's why he spray-painted Ayame's shirt while she wasn't looking…you know, as a party shirt?"

"…I guess that does explain it…sort of…" I sighed. "Look, Sango, I'm not a party person."

"So? Inuyasha isn't either and he's still going."

"Excuse me?" I laughed. Inuyasha? Not a party person? "Are you kidding me? Inuyasha?"

"I'm serious!" She said with eyes wide. "He may act big when he's around us, but he doesn't do well when he's around strangers…"

"I don't believe it…"

"You're trying to change the subject." Sango said dully. "Please Kagome, I haven't known you for that long, but you have to come. You don't have to really dance…"

That actually caught my attention. I wasn't the greatest dancer in the world, but I didn't really like missing out on things either…

I sighed, which Sango immediately knew what it meant. Yeah, she didn't know me very well…yeah right…

"Okay, fine…I'll go."

_"Yes!" _She cleared her throat. "I…err…mean, okay, since you're coming, guess I'll got tell Miroku now…"

"Is he still sleeping?" I rolled my eyes.

"Oh, no, he's pigging out his pack of _Pocky_ he brought with him. Besides, you did make us all wake up at 3:30 in the morning…" She checked her watch. "And it's still 7:00…" She then looked at me when she noticed how quiet I was. "Hey, Kagome? You alright?"

_"Pocky?!"_ I screamed in horror. _"He has _Pocky_ for himself?"_

"Well…"

I must have left as fast as how Ayame and Kouga had left the laundry room. Miroku was mine…his Pocky anyway…

** --- **

"This is so ridiculous…" I sighed as I leaned out to watch the sky.

I never really mentioned this to anyone, but I actually have a hate-list. Sure, some people probably thought that I was too happy to ever have a hate-list, but on the contrary, I had a long list of hateful things that could probably match the shape of a roll of toilet papers. The top three includes –

Man with attitudes…he shall be unnamed for now.

Man who hogs stuff for himself…he shall be unnamed for now too.

And my number one intolerable hate…bad arguments…

Yeah, I know there are a lot of things that's worse than some arguments, but for some reason, I just could never stand any arguments…

And so, that was the reason why I was outside, just watching the last of the passengers boarding into the S.S.T.

I frowned…

I still didn't find out what S.S.T stood for…

Sighing again, I picked out another _Pocky _out of the pocky-box and crunched it inside my mouth. After drinking so much _Sprite_, I needed something to stuff into my mouth.

Yup, a fine day…just lousy attitudes…

"What are you so depressed about?"

My head immediately snapped as I heard that familiar voice, though I hadn't heard it for some time. It wasn't a worried voice; more like a bored voice with nothing else better to do around the ship. Darn him…

"Why would you care?" I glared at him, though not saying his name since a pack of girls started to come aboard the ship, and as always, not missing the chance to wink at Inuyasha. I didn't dare say his name, since I didn't feel like being pushed aside by a mob of girls that wanted his autograph this early in the morning…obviously; I've been with Miroku too long…

I sighed when Inuyasha smiled back at the girls and they squealed in delight, all immediately gossiping back to each other about how cute he was the moment they passed him towards the entrance.

Shaking my head, I moved far away from the entrance as I let my hand rest on the steel rim and dragged it as I moved towards a less occupied area. The ship was about to start sailing, and two of my friends were still arguing…oh, what a joyful day…

"Hey!" Inuyasha, that idiot, called. "I asked you a question." I guess he wasn't used to being ignored.

"I don't have to answer anything you ask." I said; no emotion in my voice whatsoever.

"Keh, idiot."

Normally, I would have just ignored him, but for some reason, I felt very hyper at that time…

"What did you call me?"

He rested his arms on the steel rim, right beside me; leaning forward and making himself comfortable…sticking his butt out like that…I'm not sure if he was trying to do that, but I was rock solid. Yup, no staring for me…no way.

"You heard me."

I glared at him, but I didn't feel like starting an argument, and besides, I couldn't really say anything witty back at him, so I stayed silent.

A sigh escaped me. "I'm so tir-eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed." I yawned as I stretched out, holding my pocky-box on top of my head and huffing my chest out.

Inuyasha looked at me in a very odd way, then shook his head. "You're the one who made us come here so early."

Another snort from me. "With all those years with Miroku, I think I know a little better than just being lazy and think _someone's_ going to save you your room." I made it clear that I was pointedly making this as a description of the guy beside me.

Inuyasha shook his head as he looked back up towards the dock and the waters. "I'm not lazy."

"I didn't say you were."

There was another moment of uncomfortable silent before I unwittingly broke it by saying –

"Why are you here?"

He frowned and looked at me. "What?"

"I mean here, with me. Don't you want to go chase those girls that passed you earlier?"

Inuyasha just looked at me for a moment, then snapped. "Keh." He turned around and leaned against the rim on his back, his elbow supporting him on the white steel. "You make me sound like some retch like Miroku."

"Like you aren't."

He looked at me with serious eyes, then smirked and looked down at his sneakers. "You really hate me, don't you?"

I really was annoyed then, but I felt a bit light too, so I didn't dare start an argument. "Miroku and Kouga still arguing with the girls?"

"Yeah. Sango's mad about that groping thing, though Miroku swears it was an accident in his sleep. Says something about his still broken wrist." He leaned in sideways; towards my side. "And don't change the subject."

"I didn't mean to…" I looked back up at the sky. "I just don't like how you do stuff…"

"Stuff? Like what?" he quirked an eyebrow and his pupils turned to my direction, though his face was still towards his shoes.

"Like how you planned that stupid trick on us…"

"…err…"

I looked at him with a frown. "You know, the one where I stepped on a dull needle and got honey all over me, and Ayame, _Lily_,got dyed green? And Sango was all tied up and found drank…?"

"…what?" Inuyasha cracked a smile. A _real _smile. "What are you talking about?"

My jaws dropped, but then I shook my head in disbelief. "You're playing me. I know it."

"I not playing you, babe." He was already chuckling; a deep chuckle from his chest.

"Don't call me that!" I was beginning to get creeped out. "What do you mean you don't know anything about it? Did Miroku and Kouga do this alone in the morning…?" For some reason, that didn't fit…

"Nah, I was with them the whole time at the beach, every single morning. Miroku was trying to surf with his broken wrist."

I stared at him. "…"

Inuyasha was still chuckling until he looked at me again, leaning his head very close to mine. "Look, you just gave me some great ideas, but you don't have to-"

"I'm serious!" I blurted out, grabbing his shirt and dropping the packet of Pocky, leaning into his face. "Ayame got dyed green and Sango was found tied up! We all got a red paper…here; I think I have it…" I picked up my Pocky and searched my pocket for the paper. Yes, all that time, I kept that paper in my pocket for some mysterious reason…I think I just couldn't find any trash can at that time and pocketed it, and forgot about it in a few minutes…or something like that…

"Here, read it. Might look familiar." I looked up at Inuyasha, giving him the paper.

He took it and read it. His grin immediately dropped. "This isn't my handwriting…"

I noted the seriousness of his voice. "Well, is it Kouga's? I know Miroku never writes like that…"

"No, Kouga's handwriting is a lot like Miroku's…really messy…" He held the paper up. "This is too neat to be any of our handwriting…"

I just stared at him in disbelief, taking the paper back. "So…does that mean…"

Not one of us noticed how the ship started moving.

"It means someone _else_ was in the vacationing house." He looked at me with his now serious, amber eyes.

** --- **

"No way…"

"No, I'm serious, he was telling the truth!" I said, pointing the red paper on the table. "I swear I'm not lying…"

"I know you're not lying…" Ayame said, but still a bit cautious. "It's just I don't trust what Inuyasha said."

I sighed, holding my head as I laid my elbow on the wooden table. It was lunch, and we were eating anything we could get. I was eating strawberry cheesecake, though I hardly touched it.

"Look, I'm sure he wasn't lying. I don't think he would do this by himself anyway. And look, you guys know the guys more than I do. Does this look like any of their handwriting?"

Sango and Ayame looked at it, and their jaws slightly dropped. "I never really thought about that…"

"I told you…someone _else_ was in our vacationing house…" I sighed. Then a sudden shiver ran down my spine.

I immediately looked up to see what was causing this uncomfortable feeling and gasped. There, towards the exit, was the same gaijin man I saw this morning.

"Guys." I hissed. "Look, the guy."

Ayame and Sango frowned, then looked behind them. They both stared but the only thing they saw was the back of a man wearing a black jacket and disappearing into the hallway. "What?"

"That guy!" I whispered. "He was the same guy I saw this morning."

"So? A reporter?"

"No, he was the same guy with the camera in Ayame's pictures…I mean the pictures Ayi took…whatever!"

Ayame and Sango looked at each other and back at me. That looking thing was getting really annoying…

"Umm…Kagome, maybe this whole thing is getting to you…"

"Yeah." Sango agreed. "I mean, the part where someone could have been in our house…that's sort of believable, but…the gaijin?"

"That's a bit too much." Ayame ended her sentence.

I started to argue, but then stopped. No need to make myself look even more crazy…

"Fine…don't believe me…" I took out another Pocky from my packet… "Hey!"

"What?"

"That was my last one…"

** --- **

Sugar rush. You'd probably think that those are only started by pixie sticks, sugar packets or anything with high sugar. But I found out that you can still get a sugar rush by just eating various foods and drinks…like, for example; _Sprite _and _Pocky_.

"I gotta do something-!" I whined, lying on my bed and wiggling around like a fish out of water.

"Kagome!" Sango called my name as she poked her head into my room through the suite door. "Are you ready…whoa…"

"Hmm?" I looked up from my bed. "What?"

"I thought my room was only red…thought mine's still bigger…"

"Oh be quiet…"

"Say, nice outfit though." Sango came in fully, revealing her hair which was held up as one ponytail, though starting from one hair band, her single ponytail spread into two with two other hair bands, making it look like she had two ponytails instead.

"Nice hair style." I quirked up. "Where'd you get that black tank top?"

Sango sat beside me on the bed. She lifted her eyebrow. "Why do you care?"

I shrugged. "Don't know. Just curious I guess." I stretched. "Like the pink mascara, though."

She dramatically gasped. "You know makeup? It's a miracle…"

I laughed. "Mwahahahaha! I know more, like you got that Chinese-styled long skirt with the long golden slits from Style Shack."

"…now how did you know that?"

"I saw some of your magazines on the nightstand…really weird stuff…"

"…oh…" Sango tried to change the subject. "Well, you're very black." She said as she looked at my sleeveless black shirt and mini-skirt.

I shrugged. "Just took whatever I could from my luggage."

"Kagome?"

Sango and I looked up to see Ayame slightly opening the door to the bathroom, though not entirely coming out.

"I don't think this really…" She mumbled out the last part. Could it be? Could it be that Ayame was actually shy? Oolala…

"C'mon Ayame, it can't be bad…" Sango stood up and went over to the bathroom. She knocked on it. "Come on out."

"…" Some incoherent mumbles jumbled out before Ayame finally stepped out. I think Sango's eyes widened too.

She was dressed in…dresses in more like a black bikini top and black short-shorts. Her hair was held up into two elegant buns.

Sango whistled. "Very nice…"

"Don't stare at me like that!" She narrowed her eyes at us. "I feel uncomfortable…"

"Yeesh, you're making us sound like lesbians."

I jumped off the bed and did a full stretch. I was probably the most covered up person in the room right then, but I felt as if I had to blow some energy off.

"Okay, it's already 7:30, so let's go." I said as I kept on stretching.

"Yeah, besides, I think we're late enough to be called 'fashionably late', don't ya think?" Sango smiled and nudged at Ayame.

I, obviously, didn't get it.

"C'mon, let's go." I said as I opened the door, expecting to find the hallway empty.

Oh, how I was wrong.

There was a very uncomfortable silence as us girls stepped out from my room and the guys in front of us stepped out from Inuyasha's room, all at the same time.

We quickly observed one another.

Miroku was wearing a long-sleeved shirt that was unbuttoned at the neck and his sleeves were slightly rolled up to his elbow. He was wearing tight leather pants. I _swear_ I heard Sango gasp right beside me.

Kouga was wearing a black, short-sleeved shirt that was completely unbuttoned, though he was wearing another light tank top underneath. In his blue jean, I noticed how he was watching Ayame very intently, though she, on the other hand, was trying to look away.

Inuyasha…oh boy…let's see…he was wearing a black tank top that fully showed his muscles and his legs were in a baggy blue jean. His hair was held as a low ponytail by a brown leather thong. He, like me, was trying to avoid eye contact with everyone else in the hallway. Sure…not a party person, Sango said…

"So…let's go then!" I piped, still too hyper from the amount of sugar I received.

No one really nodded, except for Inuyasha, and we all continued along the hallway towards the stairs that lead to the floor we were looking for. Except, the stairs wasn't quite big as the hallway, so we sort of had to split into twos to get through the narrow way. I, coincidentally, had to be paired up with Inuyasha.

"Hey." Inuyasha said quietly as we all paired up and walked up the stairs.

"Hi…"

"So, about the red paper…"

I looked up, finally something catching my attention other than those sparkly lights. "Yeah? What about it?"

"I'm pretty sure it wasn't any of the guy's handwriting. I had a little 'talk' with them at lunch."

"You too?"

He looked at me weirdly. "What?"

"Nah." I waved it off. "I just did the same thing. Ya know, had a little 'meeting' with the girls."

"Oh." Inuyasha smirked, though he didn't direct it at anything certain. "You nearly made me think you had a strawberry cheesecake, too, at lunch…"

I stayed completely silent as we neared our destination. Yup, just plain freaky…

As I reached for the door handle, the techno music blasted its way through the wall and into everyone's ears. I had a sudden urge to push Inuyasha off the staircases, though I didn't know why (probably the sugar), but I stayed in control long enough as we entered the floor of the teen party.

We were met by darkness until the next music started, and the sudden flashes of light surrounded the entire dance floor. Yup, a disco floor like I expected.

We all made our ways towards a nearby table until a man, that had the slight resemblance to Kouga, with his short hair held up, asked Ayame to join him in a dance.

I didn't believe it, but Kouga seemed to glare at Ayame as she accepted his invitation and waved back at us as she went to the dance floor.

"This is…nice…" I said with a sheepish smile to Sango, who made herself comfortable on the seat next to me.

Then suddenly, Kouga oddly said, "I'm going to go to the dance floor." And immediately went to the table beside ours and asked a hot blonde, probably Swedish, to dance with him. She and her pack of friends giggled, which probably meant a good thing for Kouga, since she agreed and went with him.

I wasn't the only one who witnessed this.

"You think he's jealous?"

I raised my eyebrow at Miroku. "Who? At Ayame?" I looked over and saw how close Kouga had chosen his dance spot to where Ayame was, so nearby…"…never mind…"

"Well, I'm going to get some drinks, want to go with me, Sango?"

"No." was her simple answer.

"I'll go with you." Inuyasha got up. "Besides, I don't like how the girls over there are eyeing me." I followed his gaze and saw the same pack of girls we saw this morning waving and winking at Inuyasha…or maybe a similar pack of girls…heck, they all looked the same.

Of course, Inuyasha probably didn't know it, but in Miroku's language, 'getting a drink' meant actually going dancing. That's probably why Sango refused the offer, with many other reasons she could think of.

Sango glared when Miroku and Inuyasha got to the drink table, and saw Miroku talking to a pretty brunette and moments later, went to the dance floor.

I swear, Sango would have probably refused the guy's offer to dance if she hadn't witnessed Miroku holding the brunette's hand. Actually, she just nodded and went with the complete stranger, though still glaring at Miroku in the dance floor.

Very scary…

And talking about scary…

My heart jumped when I noticed a very familiar form in the distant table, waving at _me _with a toothy smile…

"Oh my gaaaaaaaad…" I whined, quietly as ever. It was the gaijin guy…

Out of pure disgust, I immediately stood up and ran over towards the 2nd exit, which was across the dance floor. It was a complete nightmare, as I tried to push myself through the crowd and escape some guy's hand that was inviting me to dance with him. But pushing like a rhino, I finally made it towards the exit that lead to the front of the ship and into the fresh night air.

I sighed in relief as I shut the door and the music was muffled by the heavy metal. A small smile crept over me and I looked up at the sky. It was so starry…

With a new found feeling of freeness, I giggled like a real girl and started to dance around, trying to use up all the sugar energy I gained. For some reason, this reminded me of Titanic…where Jack guided the red-haired girl's (the name escapes me) towards the front and pretended they were flying or something…but that free feeling disappeared when I was looking over the ship and a strange voice called me.

"Nice night, huh _Kagome_?"

I immediately turned around and gasped. It was the same gaijin guy…and he knew my name?!

I narrowed my eyes and got my composure back. "Who the heck are you?!" I hissed. No way was he taking me for an ordinary girl!

"Just your average…_guy_, babe."

Anger replaced my sugar rush. _"Don't call me that, you freak." _

"Awww…" He put his hand over his heart. He wasn't that bad looking, with his blue marble eyes and his short brownish hair (probably from Germany) but he was still too freaky for my taste. "That hurts, _Kagome_."

My name was an endearment to his tongue. How sickening…

"What do you want?" I demanded. "An interview with my brother?"

He chuckled. "No Kagome. I only came to see _you_."

"Oh yeah, lucky me." I hissed with all the venom I could master.

He stepped forward, and I was already backed up against the steel rim. But I didn't want to show any fear so I didn't budge…how stupid was I.

"Actually, I was only ordered to get you for my boss, see."

_Boss…?_ Oh boy, now I was probably against the Yakuza or something…(Japanese version of the Mafia).

"What?"

"Yes…but I didn't think you were as beautiful as the pictures…" He was already closing in on me. "…probably, even more…"

I glared with all my hatred. Oh great, now pictures. "What does your boss want from me?" He was already invading my personal space…I was getting really squeamish…

"I don't ask questions…but you know what _I _want?"

_"No." _

He chuckled again. For some reason, I thought Inuyasha sounded better when he chuckled instead.

"My boss didn't say that I could play with his package for a while…"

Suddenly, his hand shot out and grabbed me by the waste, his arm encircling me. I tried to yell, but he used his other hand to cover my mouth.

"…and I intend to have a _great _night with you…" He hissed as he lowered his mouth, probably intending to start kissing my neck.

Before he did that, I bit his hand, and I mean _hard_.

He cried out as I screamed; a scream that pierced the night air.

_"Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaape!!!" _

That left me probably out of breath for a few minutes, but that was enough time for him to call me all kinds of name and try to pull my skirt up. That made me _real _mad. I lifted my feet up and aimed for his manly area, but I missed because we were so close and I couldn't see my target, but instead I hit his shin, though I still injured him. A bad bruise in the morning, probably…

His grip loosened and I took that chance to get away, pushing him away and running with all my might. I knew I shouldn't have worn those flip-flops like everybody else…

_"Get back here, you bitch!"_ He yelled as he grabbed my long hair and pushed me to the ground.

_"Help-! Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaape!"_

I didn't get it. Why wasn't anyone coming to my rescue? I was pretty sure I had screamed loud enough to shutter glass, or stop the loud music inside at the least…

"Shut up!" The guy clamped his hand down on my mouth again and started to pull my shirt up over my head, already revealing my stomach to him.

I felt sick. Really sick and I was hoping I could just barf on him.

Tears pooled inside my eyes and I looked above towards the sky and all the magnificent stars…was I really going to get raped? Was this how my first time's going to be remembered? Was I really going to loose my virginity to this creep?

"No…" I whimpered.

_"Kagome!" _

Suddenly, all the heavy weight that was on top of me was pushed off of me, and I saw a sudden cloud of silver threads…

Odd…there wasn't any cloud at night…unless I was in heaven…did the guy rape me already and killed me so quickly?

"Get him!" A familiar voice yelled and a mass of feet passed by me as they charged towards an already lying form, a several feet away. Was that just Miroku's voice ordering everyone to jump on top of the gaijin guy?

"Kagome…"

I looked up.

"Inu…ya…sha?" I whispered, tears still pooling out of my eyes.

He picked me up in his arms, his knees beside me. I probably lost a few pounds if Inuyasha could hold me that easily. "Are you okay?" He pushed my bangs away from my wet eyes. "Did we get here too late?"

I watched him for a moment, and I realized something. He called me by my name.

I shook my head. "You got here…just in…time…"

And then I did something I didn't think I would have done in a million years.

I hugged him.

**AN: **…and so, the plot thickens…(odd, I didn't think there was even a plot to this whole fic…-.-;) Oh, and this is a must read…

**_Read this, or else… _**

-Clears throat- Okay, I've had enough reviews saying they wanted more fluff, or they didn't want any fluff…so make up your minds already! What do you want from me?!

You've got 2 choices!!!

#1 No fluff in the fic from now on…

#2 …or more fluff in the fic from now on…

Your choice, you vote…so review and tell me, okay?

Bye for now, then!


	11. Coco in the Rain Anyone?

I sniffed a couple of times.

"You want some coco?"

I nodded as Sango came back from the kitchen and closed the door into place with her feet, coming into Miroku's large room while holding a tray of hot coco in her hands. We were all there, discussing what had just happened; much to my disgust.

"– so, you guys saw the gaijin guy back at the beach?"

Ayame nodded, though visibly a bit squeamish.

"How? Weren't you guys always in the vacation house?"

She bit her bottom lip. "I took some pictures while walking in the beach for fresh air. I wanted to give some pictures to my gramps."

We, obviously, couldn't say that we were trying to spy on them while incognito so we could have humiliated them in front of hundreds of girls. That didn't seem to fit the mood in this room right at the moment.

I sighed as I shivered for the umpteenth times that night…oh wait, it was already passed midnight. Trying to huddle deeper into my blanket, I leaned back on the couch also now occupied by Sango beside me and Miroku beside her.

After what happened tonight, I didn't have much energy left in me. It was all a blur, but I do remember something about Inuyasha picking me up and Miroku ordering some of the sailors to bind him to the engine room or something…all I know is he's going to be arrested once we get to shore.

"Does that mean that that guy's been stocking you girls?" Miroku frowned, a hint of wariness evident in his angry indigo eyes.

I looked from Ayame, to Kouga, and then to Miroku – they all had fury etched on their faces. I then looked at Inuyasha and Sango – they both had tired expressions.

_Tired?! _I nearly got raped and their tired?! …something obviously wasn't right around here…

And of course, I wasn't the only one who noticed their odd behavior, what from shifting around in their seats wasn't so obvious enough.

"Sango? Are you feeling all right?" Miroku asked her, who was mumbling something beside him. She just looked at him and then stared back at her pink fluffy slippers and the floor.

"Yeah, you've been acting really weird too." Kouga looked over Ayame to Inuyasha, who was also trying to avoid all eye contacts from everyone.

_Really _weird…

"Guys…" I spoke up for the first time since I sat on this couch in Miroku's room, making everyone jump. "Is there something you guys are hiding?"

Sango and Inuyasha exchanged glances and looked away again.

"Because I really would appreciate it if you can tell me why I was nearly raped for no good reason." I was getting annoyed, and it was obvious to everyone in the room. After going through something traumatic like that, I guess they were surprised to see me not breakdown and start piercing my wrists with a kitchen knife or something…bad mental image…

"I…" Sango started, making everyone look at her expectantly minus Inuyasha who was still looking down at the floor. "I guess…we'll have to tell you…"

Inuyasha sighed, still not looking up from the floor but everyone now watching him instead. It was like a tennis competition – our heads going from right to left as if following the imaginary yellow ball.

"We…I mean to say that _I_ have something to do with this…whole thing." He muttered.

There was complete silence in the room.

**Get A Life!**

_Chapter Eleven: Coco in the Rain Anyone?_

By: Snowgirl

For years I've stayed with Miroku in that traveling van, going from places to places and always working on my laptop. I thought that I had it bad, what with being forced to endure the horrible life of watching Miroku get bombarded with pretty girls while I looked on from inside the window. Always typing away my life on that precious, black electronic of mine. I thought I had the oddest and the worst life anyone could have thought of, no matter how luxurious it looked to stay inside a vehicle with a typical male model.

But here were two people, looking guilty as ever inside a huge room in this ship, and Ayame coming back from closing all the windows, doors and checking for any cameras or bugs in the room.

"So, what exactly do you mean…you guys are _involved_?" Miroku leaned in, his wrists resting on his knees.

Ayame, me, Kouga and Miroku were on our couch while Sango and Inuyasha were sitting in the opposite one, looking even more guilty now. Not to mention queer.

Sango looked at Inuyasha with a sad face. "Should I tell them or should you?"

He sighed. "You're not involved in this. But I am, so I'll tell everything."

Sango looked relieved but didn't say anything.

"Really Inu, what were you keeping from us?" Kouga frowned. He looked a bit offended.

"It's…" He shook his head. "I used to be in a gang."

…

No surprise there for me.

"It was all before I met Sango and started this daredevil currier with her. Naraku; he was the gang leader, but I was a respected member, so we obviously had our differences. This 'gang' used to just a fun club for the group back in school, but it escalated to a gang with guns, and beers and hot chicks.

One day, the gang decided to rob a bank or a shop – something along those lines. I didn't want to and we got into this huge argument, so I decided to drop out. And 'coincidentally', so did Naraku's girlfriend."

"…Kikyou?" I muttered. Everything was beginning to make sense now…except for the 'hot chicks' part…

"Yeah. See, it wasn't the fact that I dropped out that made him mad…in fact, he would have celebrated. It was the fact he found out that his girlfriend had her eyes on me this whole time and decided to follow me that made him even more jealous and angrier. Besides, he's not much of a looker…"

"So, is that where Kikyou run off to after that water balloon incident?" Ayame narrowed her eyes. I guess just remembering about her made everyone sort of annoyed. "To Naraku?"

"Seems like it." He growled. "That's why I've been enduring that girl's company this whole time. If I dumped her, she would have ran home to _him _and he would have sent his henchmen on me. It would have gotten real ugly."

"So, is that why I got nearly raped?" I said quietly. "Because Kikyou got jealous of me in that position with you and whined to 'Naraku' and made him send a guy to rape me?"

"Well…by the looks of it – yeah." Inuyasha rubbed his head. "Look…I'm sorry, I should have told you guys earlier, but it's not exactly the proudest thing –"

_"Hell no!"_ I yelled, standing up from the couch and the blanket that covered me falling off to the ground.

Everyone gave me a surprised look. It was the first time I cussed in front of them…okay, so maybe I cussed a few times, but without such 'passion'…I guess.

"What, you thought I'd be alright while some guy was chasing after me?! That you thought that if I got raped it wouldn't matter?!" Teardrops were pooling out of my eyes and down my cheeks. I was finally breaking down. Well, finally…

"That's not it!" Inuyasha also got up. It could have been me, but everyone seemed to have backed off from the couch and our exchanging fury. "I didn't think he would do something _that _disgusting!"

Now, _that _set me off badly. That hidden anger inside me suddenly flared up. I had to let this flame go – and he was sadly standing directly in the line of fire.

"_That _disgusting…?" I whispered at first as the flame rose from my eyes. _"That disgusting?! _What are you saying?! That you were expecting him to sexually harass me instead?! That you were expecting him to…to get me in honey, make my friends half drunk, and get completely dyed in green?!"

Ayame and Sango looked away as Miroku and Kouga looked at them in surprise.

"Look, I didn't know Naraku would have aimed at Ayame and Sango too, okay?! I didn't know he was going to do this!"

_//SLAP// _

I had to get my fury out…and I did.

Everything was quiet as I brought my numb hand down, seeing the bloody red mark I made on Inuyasha's cheek. He stood there, completely shocked and blinked a couple of times. Everyone else had their mouths open and was definitely backing away this time.

I stood there. _Real _angry.

"I'm going to bed." I growled and turned around. I was starting to head for the door to the hallway, but halfway there, I remembered the gaijin guy and promptly walked off towards Miroku's bedroom.

I slammed the door behind me and didn't bother turning on the lights. Jumping onto the bed, I laid there on my back, staring at the interesting spot on the ceiling.

_Gang…I didn't know…Kikyou…Naraku…I didn't know… _

I groaned quietly. His words kept on ringing in my ears.

A sudden flash made it through the small line of space between the curtains. Another groan – oh great, thunder…just what I needed.

Surprisingly enough…I didn't mind the rain. I didn't mind the pitter-pattering sound outside on the balcony. It seemed as if I had used all my anger on Inuyasha. I was so emotionally exhausted that I couldn't help feel a bit sorry for him.

Maybe it was a bad idea hitting him…I mean; he said he didn't know…but what was I suppose to do with the raging anger inside of me? Let it build up until I couldn't take it and then jump off the ship out of pure depression? But still…Inuyasha had to carry the guilt now…

I shook my head on the fluffy pillow. Maybe it's better to think about this whole situation the next morning after a good visit to la-la land.

Little did I know that tomorrow wasn't going to be a quiet day either…

_The next day… _

**-Rumble – (flash) – Rumble- **

My eyes fluttered open as another flash and a rumble echoed through the closed windows. Great…still raining huh?

"Kagome?" A faint voice said through the bedroom door. "Are you okay?" It was such a soft and tired voice.

I didn't bother answering, since the memory of what happened last night, or earlier this morning (whatever), came back to me. Hopping off the bed with the energy I had thanks to the slightly uncomfortable but goodnight's sleep, I walked towards the door and opened it.

It was Ayame; and she looked capital H – _Horrible_.

"Ayame?" I stepped out of the door to look at her horribly blotchy and red eyes, her messy brown hair that wasn't in ponytails during the daytime for once in her life, and the tearstains on her cheeks. "What…happened? Where's everyone?"

"I…" She bit her bottom lip. "Inuyasha went to his room through the suite door with Kouga, and Miroku slept in Sango's room while she went to your room." She gulped as another tear ran down. "I went to my room…it was all hours ago…"

I looked back at the slightly open curtains. It was still dark and grayish with occasional rumbles and flashes of lighting and thunder. "What time is it?"

"About…9 in the morning." She gulped. "It's been eight hours since you went to sleep…"

"So…why are you up?" I asked as she took a shaky breath in and turned around towards the couch. "What happened?"

"I…" Another shaky breath. "I went to get some coco because I kept on waking up and getting more tired…and when I came back to my room…" Her lips trembled and she chocked on a sob, sitting down on the couch.

I went over to her on the couch and sat down beside her, patting her on the back. I felt weird…just hours ago, I was acting just like her…without all the tears…and more anger I guess.

"Ayame, please tell me what happened." I looked down at her. "Please…what happened? I really want to help you."

"My…my room…it's been trashed."

My eyes widened. _"What?!" _

"…my necklace…the one grandpa gave me for…my birthday…"

I stood up. "Let's go see it. We have to figure out what happened." I helped Ayame from the couch and made our way towards the door to the hallway. "You didn't tell anyone about this?"

She shook her head. "After I looked around the room and saw all the things in my jewelry box gone, I got scared and ran to your room. It was the only one unlocked anyway."

Stepping into the deserted hallway, we both looked around and kept close together, jumping a little every time a lightning struck. I was so glad we had our own hallway to ourselves. It would have been much more creepier if we walked any further.

As we finally made it to the open door to Ayame's room, I gasped.

When Ayame had said her room had been trashed, she meant _completely_ and _utterly_ trashed.

Her luggage was thrown open, and not too carefully I must say, with all her clothes laid in heaps on the floor with her sheet covers ripped and her pillows now with holes that had feathers spilling out of it on the floor. There was a spilled coco cup on the floor that must have been Ayame's when she first came in here and got the shock of her lifetime. The curtains were broken down, and a single, custom made box laid on the nightstand. It was open and empty.

That was when we heard a sudden creak from outside the room – on the balcony.

"There's someone out there!" I hissed to Ayame, who whimpered.

"I didn't really look around when I came here after I got my coco…he must have been out there this whole time!"

"…is he…smoking?"

Ayame also noticed the smoke from the gap in the curtained window. "Umm…yeah, but I think he's nearly done…"

I looked around the room as the creaking sound got louder. "Oh man…he's coming…" I spotted a baseball bat halfway across the floor. "Can I use this?" I walked away from Ayame towards it, picking it up. I was soon going to regret that.

"Yeah." Ayame held up the golf club in her hand. "I got this in Miroku's room before we left."

We both backed up a bit when the creaking stopped. As we held our breaths we waited for the villain to open the door and step in…when –

"Hey guys, what are you doing?"

We both screamed so hard our lungs hurt.

"Whoa! Calm down, what did I –" Sango, her hair in a messy ponytail and still wearing her red bathrobe, gaped when she saw the room from behind Ayame and over her shoulder. "What happened?!"

That was when the balcony door slammed opened, ricocheting off the wall and the three of use turned to look towards the opposite side of the room.

A man, wearing a black ski mask stood there. A foot taller than all of us with a huge body and holding a long and sharp looking dagger in his gloved hand.

Now combined with Sango's voice, our triple scream could have cracked all the windows in the ship in a matter of seconds.

The man, probably panicking, ran to us (making all three of us scream even louder) and grabbed my mouth since I was the closest to him. I was regretting I had ever walked across the room to retrieve that darn baseball bat.

I tried getting away but he only grabbed my neck, crushing my windpipe as I started seeing black dots.

Then there was a hard yell as a familiar golf club appeared out of no where beside his right shoulder and swung right onto his right cheek. The man immediately let go and I fell on the floor, trying to catch my breath as the man charged at Ayame with his bloody nose.

He raised his sharp dagger and swung wildly with it, his arm like a windmill and jumped on Ayame. She dodged just barely, though not able to avoid the deep cut on her cheek, blood dripping down her skin.

Sango, also appearing out of no where, took the time to grab the baseball bat that fell next to me on the floor and then dashed to the unsuspecting intruder. She swung it like a mallet over her head and then brought down the weapon onto the man, his back facing her.

_//CRACK// _

Even I had to feel sorry as the giant man fell with a very loud thud on the floor, a giant and disgustingly visible (yet satisfying) bruise forming on top of his masked head and Sango stumbling back to the floor from the huge jump she made and slipping on a bra, landing on her back with a 'hey!' of surprise.

There was a moment of silence before a few footsteps echoed from the opened door. That was when I realized how much racket we made with all the screaming and the thudding noises.

Miroku, Inuyasha and Kouga all ran into the room with white faces and stopped dead-still as they took in their surrounding.

Two Asian girls on the floor, one still coughing and clutching her neck, trying to take in air, while the other continuously rubbing her twisted foot with a baseball bat still in her hand, and to top it all off, a gaijin girl trying to stop the huge amount of blood trickling down her cheek as she sat next to a huge unconscious man; dagger in one hand and blood staining his ski mask.

An ominous lighting flashed behind us from the windows, making the room look even more precarious.

Obviously, not your everyday situation…

_After an hour of confusion and mass chaos… _

_'Beep…Attention…beep' _

I looked up from the couch, huddled in the blanket.

_'This is the captain speaking…many of you are wondering what has occurred this morning and last night…the explanation is what some of you have expected. Three girls have been attacked in less than 24 hours, and they have wished for their names to be anonymous. We would all like for everyone to keep their doors locked at all times and stay in numbers while outside your room – do not travel alone. I repeat do _not _travel alone. If there are any furthermore questions, please ask one of the crewmembers. I would like to apologize for any inconvenience this has caused. Thank you for your time…" _

_'Beep…beep' _

Sango sighed. "Well…at least he didn't say our names."

It was an odd sight. I was back on the couch with another blanket over me, but this time I wasn't the only one. Sango and Ayame both sat on the opposite couch, exactly looking like how I did; under a blanket (Ayame – green, Sango – red, me – pink), miserable, and hairs completely out of place.

"Man…it won't stop bleeding…" Ayame winced as she massaged her bandaged cheek, quickly becoming stained by her bloody cut. "And this is the fifth bandage…" She was now wearing the necklace she was crying over, retrieved from the intruder's pocket. It was a Jade Necklace with a shining green emerald sparkling from the center of the shell shaped gold around it.

"Idiot, stop touching it then." Kouga took her wrist and pulled it away.

"Hey, I'll do whatever I want, thank you very much!" Ayame pulled her hand away and started poking her cheek, just to annoy him no matter how much it hurt her and caused her to wince.

"Stop that!"

…it was sort of amusing seeing Kouga trying to pull her wrist and her trying to pull it away from him.

Sango continued rubbing her sore ankle. "Oh gee…I shouldn't have landed on my left foot…I was never good with my left ankle…"

Miroku came in, remembering to lock the door, and this time he was the one who had the tray of hot coco from the kitchen, steam still rising from the cups. "This is ridiculous. Two attacks in less than 10 hours. I swear this is getting out of hand."

Inuyasha was looking out the window, trying to ignore everything everyone else was saying. I couldn't help but stare at his silver hair. I was really beginning to regret slapping him…did the slap mark even leave yet?

"I'm just glad they didn't find out about the gang. That would have caused so much more chaos…" Sango mumbled as she took a cup from the tray and gently sipped it. "Hey…this is pretty good! What did you do with it Miroku?"

"Well, I did add some other special ingredients to it…"

While Kouga and Ayame were busy with trying to pull her hand away, and Sango was trying to guess what the 'secret ingredients' Miroku had mentioned, I got up from the couch and walked towards Inuyasha. He seemed to stare out the window with a very dull look on his face.

"Inuyasha?"

He didn't respond or even turn around to face me, so I stepped away from his back and cocked my head to his side so I could see the right side of his face.

Well, the handprint on his face was just too obvious…

"Inuyasha…"

He looked away. At least I knew he wasn't in la-la land.

"Look…I'm really sorry I slapped you." I sighed. "I know it's not your fault.

No response.

"I just needed to blow some steam out. I didn't really mean to slap you…"

No response.

I was getting very annoyed.

"Hey…"

No response.

Yes…_Very_ annoyed indeed…

I was about to pull his dreadlock when I remembered the hot coco. Oh ho ho ho _ho_…we might be trapped in a humongous ship with probably a few guys still out to harm us…but the spirit of the war never ended…_mu wha ha ha ha ha_…

Inuyasha probably thought I left for good when I walked from his side and let his guard down. He probably expected another slap or something…but I was going to give him something more. Oh yes…it was back to square one

"Kagome, be careful, the drink's pretty hot." Sango warned as I took a cup from the tray.

"Oh…I know Sango…I know…"

She probably didn't understand the happy evil look I gave her. She stared after me as I went back to Inuyasha who was still staring out the window and then suddenly realized what I was up to. "Kagome!"

It was so hilarious I'll tell it in slow motion.

Sango got up from the couch in a dramatic gasp, her blanket falling off yet she too falling back on the couch because her bad foot had hurt so much. Miroku quickly stood up and grabbed for the cup of hot coco that was dropping to the floor that flew from Sango's hand, and yelled when some of the steaming liquid splashed onto his chest. Ayame turned around on the couch to look at me when Sango called me and gaped as Kouga stood up to watch the whole scene.

I took the steaming cup of coco and then dribbled it down on top of Inuyasha's head…nice- and _slowly_…

(Slow motion ends there)

Inuyasha yelled, his hair now a mix of brown and silver, as he snapped around and noticed me dashing towards the suite door, my blanket floating down to the ground from where I had stood with the cup rolling down the floor.

"My head! Ow!" He took his burned hand away from his steaming head…literally. "You wench! You're mine!" He yelled as he dashed after me.

All in all, that was sort of how we made up…

Nothing like a good coco during a rainy day.

**AN: _MUST READ…OR _** **_ELSE_******

If you hadn't read my bio already, I will inform everyone that I will be only updating one fic. I just finished _Half Innocent_, and I'm going to be working on my other fic, _The Life of a Devil_. The reason I uploaded this short chapter was so I could explain what I'm going to do. Besides, I think this story's going to be like 30 chapters, but don't count on it. Anyway, remember that I'll update when my other story (_The Life of a Devil_) is finished. Thanks for reading!


	12. Bugged Boogie Tonight!

"You'll never catch me! _Never-!!!_"

Inuyasha growled as he dashed after me through the narrow corridors. "That's what you think, wench!!!"

Narrowly dodging an elder on a turn, I screamed and apologized hastily as the freshly folded clothes suddenly flew into the air, blinding my sight.

"You whippersnapper! Look what you did to my clean laundries!" The old woman cried out as I ran from the fallen basket, but before long I heard another scream as I dashed around a sudden corner.

I poked my head back to the hallway with the old lady and nearly bursted out into a fit of laughter when I saw Inuyasha backing away with the elderly woman approaching him with a funny look on her face.

"Now, aren't you a handsome young man-?" She cooed at him, batting her wrinkly aged eyelashes.

Inuyasha grinned, but looking very forced. "Err…can you tell me where a young…girl went?" He hastily added, "Please?"

Her 'seductive' smile was unfazed by this. "Now why would you want someone so pesky like her? You need someone more mature and old–"

The two 'lovebirds' immediately paused and looked to their right, seeing yours truly laughing like a hysterical madwoman on the floor, rolling around and holding her stomach in pure enjoyable pain.

Now _that's _what you call a good memory.

I squeaked when I finally noticed the "couple" (snort) watching me with raised eyebrows.

I rolled onto my stomach and supported my head with my elbows on the floor, raising my feet and looking as cute as cute can be.

"Oolala…looks like _young _love-"

Momentary silence…

Then…

"You wench!"

Laughing as if screaming, I desperately pushed myself off from the carpeted hallway and started dashing away from the angry grandma _and _the very red dog-boy.

"You don't know anything about love!" The elderly woman called after me as Inuyasha started chasing me again.

I, obviously, laughed harder.

But with the hysterical laughing and the mad dash away from the mutt, my lungs were soon failing on me and it was getting heavier to breathe. So I took another turn and ended up in a dead end.

"Oh crud!"

Looking around, I noticed a door with a sign, 'Laundry Room', on it. Hmm…I thought we were more far away from Miroku's room.

Shaking my head, I threw myself into the door and crashed onto the floor. So much for dramatic effects. When you're desperate, you crash into anything, even if the door _is _open.

"Well, you finally made it."

I gaped when the voice reached my ears, my brain analyzing the voice and recognizing the arrogant tone. I got up from the floor, by elbows bruised and my back in pain, and looked at Inuyasha who was behind me, leaning on the wall beside the swinging door.

"How…how –?"

"Hey, I'm everywhere baby." He smirked.

"_Don't _call me that." I breathed out, but I only had enough energy to roll on my back and sit up, massaging my sore legs. Well, at least I was getting a good exercise out of this whole thing.

Surprisingly, Inuyasha didn't reply and only went to the vending machine, taking out some change from his back pockets. He put some coins in and took a sweet time choosing which flavor he was going to get.

Uh oh…

"Hmm…You know, I might want to get Coke…or Pepsi." He turned to me, the still-out-of-breath-red-looking-girl. "They're both sticky, ya know?"

_Uh oh… _

"But it's more your choice. Do you want Diet Coke instead?"

**_Uh oh…_**hey wait a minute… "Hey! I'm not fat!"

"Not your fault." He chuckled lowly from the bottom of his chest and chose the original coke, pushing the button and making the machine rattle.

I glared. "That's better. Original Coke." I was just so stupid then.

He bent down and picked up the can from the bottom of the vending machine. "Whatever you say, your majesty."

I realized the way he was approaching me. I realized the very evil smile on his face. I realized the way he stopped right in front of my sitting form.

A sudden chill ran through my spine.

"You…you wouldn't…"

He quirked an eyebrow and offered his hand. "Do what?"

I stayed on the floor. "Oh no…no, no, no…I'm not falling for that…no way…"

He smirked. "Oh no my dear. This is pure revenge – _don't – ya – know_?"

I didn't even have time to scream by the time he reached me and grabbed by neck collar – with one stinking finger. By the way he was dangling me in the air with his one measly index finger; I swear he looked like Godzilla. I mean, his face was even shadowed by pure vengeance…scary…

"What are you…?" I couldn't move. For one reason, I was just too tired to, and the second reason was that if I did, my shirt was going to rip and I knew it wouldn't have been a pretty sight if that happened. Inu might have liked it though…

His evil smirked became even more clearer when he popped the lid off the Coke can and promptly chugged it, all doing this with his other hand while he held me up by my neck collar.

I'm sure he didn't notice just how much cleavage he was revealing from doing that.

"You know…" Inuyasha smiled in a motherly fashion after satisfyingly sighing when he finished gulping down about half the can. "Revenge _does _taste sweet."

I swear I could have shattered a window with the screech I emitted when Inuyasha tipped his can into my shirt, dribbling down the sticky liquid down my bare-it-all chest.

**Get A Life!**

_Bugged Boogie Tonight!_

By: Snowgirl

"For the love of Kami, Kagome! You're going to skin yourself alive if you keep doing that!!!"

But did I listen to Sango? Nooooo-

Why?

_Because I had a pair of stinking Coke flavored breasts that smelled like soda-! _

"Kagome-!"

I continued madly rubbing the wet towel on my chest, now becoming more and more like cherry red. I couldn't feel the stinging pain. I was just a bit more worried about the Coke smell that kept on coming off my skin.

"Kagome please, it's probably the shirt that's got the Coke smell!"

That really caught my attention. I looked up and exchanged glances with the sarcastic looking Sango before looking down at my completely soaked shirt.

Then…

"Gya-!" The older teen screamed as she instinctively covered her eyes. "Don't take your shirt off in front of me!!!"

_"Must – get – stinking – smell – off!" _

"Keep your dang shirt on!!!"

_"Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!" _

Me and Sango watched the door fling open with such force that it ricocheted off the wall, making it vibrate and swing wildly on its hinges.

Miroku stood there with heavy panting, two soda cans in each of his hands and watching the whole scene with wild eyes.

My arms were already pulled into the dump shirt, and Sango was beside me trying to pull my hair off my scalp. I looked down at my self and just noticed how translucent the shirt I was trying pull off was.

Awkwardness…

Pure and simple awkwardness…

Then –

"Sango?" Miroku kept on switching glances at me, then to Sango. "What are you two –?"

"Don't you dare get any ideas." Sango hissed. "I'm 100 straight."

Miroku visibly relaxed. "Oh good."

I just watched him with a dull face. "Oh for the love of…get out of here! I'm trying to take my shirt off!"

"Hey, this is my room!"

Sango rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me you want to watch your own _'sister'_ strip!"

"Gross!" Miroku and I shouted in unison.

"Then get out of here!" She promptly walked over towards the door and pushed him out of his own room. But before she got the chance to completely lock him out, he yelled through the closed door.

"You know Sango; if it was you who was stripping, I would have been more interested!!!"

I slapped my hand against my mouth (or tried to since they were still inside my shirt) and choked on a laugh, causing me to loose my balance and fall off the couch. Sango yelled at him in complete red (either she was red mad, or red embarrassed, I would never know), and the tomato head reopened the door, chasing after that poor hysterically laughing Miroku down the corridors, much like in the same fashion when Inuyasha was chasing after me.

Snickering, I listened hard for any bops or thuds but after a few seconds I gave up and shook my head. Since when did Miroku get so good at evading Sango's punches?

I sniffed.

I looked down at myself and remembered the _germs _on my chest. _Inuyasha's _germs. The germs from the drunken can of soda where his _lips _touched.

Damn it.

I still smelled like Coke.

-

"Ow."

Sango shook her head. "Honestly Kagome. I told you not to rub your chest so hard."

I glared up at her. "Hey, if Miroku's germs got on your skin, would you have left it like that until the germs got into your system?"

"…good point."

I shivered. "Kami do I feel violated. I mean…these germs are like the same if he licked my chest."

Sango and I exchanged glances and shivered. "Ew…"

"Well, at least you got to pour hot coco on Inu's head yesterday." She dully said, still looking a bit grossed out though. "Miroku's been able to avoid all my attacks…" She sighed and shook her head. "Just when did he get so good at doing _that_?"

"Hey, he learns quickly." I stabbed the fork into my mashed potato. "Artificial Intelligent."

"Right." Sango then snapped her fingers. "Oh…one more thing."

"Hmm?" I watched as my older friend pulled out a folded paper from inside her light vest. It was something of a flier.

"It's not something I'm exactly fond of…but just read it." Sango mumbled and passed the paper from her side of the lunch table to mine.

I took it and read what was on the very colorfully decorated piece of paper.

_To __ALL__ Passengers – _

_We are proud to announce that tonight is the night for the carnival of all carnival. At exactly sunset, we will begin the festivity with exactly six fireworks for the announcement of the start, and will begin the party at exactly in the middle of the ship. This carnival is appropriate for all age groups and we will continue this fun festival until the break of dawn. It is also recommenced that everyone should be in at least a group of six or if possible, more, after the recent events and the problems that had occurred during this one week cruise. Please join in the fun, since there will be foods, drinks, shirtless man, and gorgeous beauties in bikinis! _

"…huh…"

Sango sighed. "I really don't want to go."

"Then why did you just hand this to me?" I asked with a frown as I toyed with the last of my salad.

She quirked an eyebrow at me. "Kagome…don't tell me you don't know…"

"What?"

She promptly slapped her hand on her forehead, which took me by surprise and made me drop my lettuce that was on my fork. "Idiot."

"What-?" I asked. "What is it that I don't know-?!"

The older teen cleared her throat. "Really…I can't believe you didn't know about her birthday…"

"…birthday?" Then something clicked in my head.

Oh…duh!

I followed suit and slapped my forehead. "It's…Ayame's birthday today, isn't it?"

"Why do you think she was searching for her Jade Necklace?" Sango reasoned. "Because she thought about her birthday…"

It was just all so obvious now.

I sighed.

"So, does that mean she wants to go to this carnival thing? Sounds like something she would like…"

"But the bad part is that we have to have at least six people in a group…and…it's not like we know anyone else…"

My left eye twitched. "What are you saying…?"

Sango smiled humorlessly. "I'm saying we're going to have to boogie tonight."

-

"Tell me why we're doing this again?"

I pretended to not hear the conversation from the boys' side.

"It's because it's that psycho's birthday." Kouga grumbled to answer Inuyasha.

"Now, now Kouga! How can you be so rude to such a beauty?" Miroku tusked at him.

"You're the one to speak." Inu chuckled. "You're trying to put as much distance between yourself and Sango, and you only agreed to join the girls because of that 'gorgeous beauties in bikinis' part."

Miroku's eyes twinkled. "Ahh, but on the contrary my friend. I may be trying to put distance between me and Sango, but our love can never be broken. Isn't that right Sango?" He called over Kouga, Inuyasha, mine, and Ayame's head to Sango.

All he got for a response was a couple of rolling eyes and a snort.

"See?"

Kouga shook his head in pity. "Your 'bond's' been broken, _bud_."

"That's preposterous!" He protested.

I shook my head and leaned to Ayame. "So, what are you planning to do at the carnival after the signaling fireworks' start, birthday-gal?"

She looked thoughtful. "Well, at least we don't have to ditch the guys."

"What? What do you mean –?" I looked behind me to see the guys that were right beside me a moment ago…gone. "…what the…"

Sango shook her head. "The only reason Inuyasha was sort of shy in the first dance was because he wasn't sure if there were any guys from his former gang spying on him. But since he knows now, he could act like his old self."

"In other words…go promise dates to unknown girls?" I asked dully. Oh goody…

"Look at it this way. At least we don't have to worry about them setting any traps on us." Ayame shrugged. "Hey look!"

And on her cue, a huge crack echoed the bright red sky, the sun setting into the water exactly in front of our view. Small visible sparks sprang into the dim stars and the clouds started to disappear into thin air. The fireworks seemed to bloom like Sakura.

"Cool, I guess the party's about to start!" I yelled over the loud hoots and jeers that had emitted from the ship, everyone starting to get inside for the carnival. "Let's get inside."

"All right, but be careful – there's a lot of people shoving and –"

I didn't get to hear what Sango said, because the moment we joined the crowd pushing into the now narrow looking doors, Ayame and Sango's head had completely disappeared into the other foreign heads, bopping in and out of my confused sight.

"Ayame?! Sango?!" I tried calling, but even I couldn't hear my self call them because of the loud music that had bursted into my eardrum the moment I stepped inside.

It was definitely a carnival.

Statues of funny looking totem poles stood by the side while a huge dragon shaped flag was hanging from the ceiling with a very, very, _very _long line of fifteen or more supporting it. It brushed my head as I walked under it.

The whole place was just so loud and colorful. I probably would have had a good time if I wasn't hastily trying to get passed the crowd and find the other two girls.

"Sango!!! Ayame!!!" And then I got _really _desperate. "Miroku! Kouga!! _Inuyasha!!!_"

…

See what I mean?

But while I was trying to find the five of my companions in the midst of all this hectic chaos, I walked passed a pair of teenagers, slightly older than me, that was having a fruit-punch-only-food-fight.

"Gya!" I cried out when a cup sized liquid of fruit flung into my direction. I jumped out of the way, but the guy behind me didn't dodge so well.

Massaging my neck and masking sure I didn't get any fruit flavor on me, I watched the guy turned around and chase the teen that had flung the juice.

That was when I noticed something weird.

Since when did I have a mole on my neck?

…

Hold on.

I gasped.

It…it couldn't have been a bug…no way.

I remembered the guy that had snuck into Ayame's room, crushing my windpipe. His finger had been rubbing that exact side of my neck.

My jaws dropped.

_I was bugged?! _

"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit…" I whimpered, now even more desperate to find the others. Okay…I was only bugged. So they couldn't see me, but they could only hear what I hear.

So if I make it as if I didn't find out about my new problem and if I find the others before anything happened…

I hurriedly covered the side of my neck with my hair and began to search for Inuyasha. Beside, I was pretty sure Inuyasha was the only silver haired teen on the face of this Earth, so it would be easier to find him then to find anyone else. How hard would it be to that egoistical dog?

I was proven horribly wrong.

-2 hours later…-

I gasped out for air.

I panted, completely out of breath.

I whimpered, exhausted and ready to give up.

Just where the heck was Inuyasha?!

"Excuse me?"

Screaming out in surprise (barely audible still since the music was so incredibly loud) I spun around to look at a man with a white suite on. Oh…it was just one of the crew attendants.

"Are you Higurashi Kagome?"

I blinked. "Err…yes, why?" I frowned suspiciously.

"Two of your friend's been looking for you."

I, seriously, would have cried out in joy if I had the urge to. "Oh really? Where are they?"

"In the girl's bathroom."

…err…duh…

Nervously smiling (yet feeling utterly stupid and completely ignorant) I nodded in showing my appreciation. "Okay…thank you!"

"No problem." The man walked away and I stood there.

Then something hit me.

I didn't know where the bathrooms were.

"Excuse me?"

"Ahh!" I yelled and spun around (yet again), beginning to get a really bad migraine from out of this whole thing. I turned to see a shocking sight, earning another hardly audible scream.

"Do you know where the bathroom is?" The woman asked. She had a blue hair (probably a wig by the looks of it) and her face was painted in a carnival styled tiger stripes. It made her look positively from the Amazons. "I was supposed to meet a friend there."

My jaw dropped.

She had green eyes.

Holy crap… "Ayame?!"

She blinked. "Kagome? Is that you?" She shook her head. "I can't see you in the flashing lights."

"Oh my god…what happened to you?!" I screamed. But I had to admit…the paint on her face sort of looked kind of nice…just a bit…

She squeaked in joy. "You like it? I told the artist that it was my birthday, so he did this to me for free!"

"Hmm…I could understand why for free…"

"What?!" She yelled. "I can't here you!"

"Nothing, nothing!" I held my hands up. "Where's Sango?!"

"She's getting her hair done! Since her hairs so long, the artist said he could do some cool things with it."

I paused. Sango hadn't even let me _think_ about touching her hair when Ayame had disguised herself to spy on the boys. But I didn't start with it. "Listen, Ayame!" I tried ignoring the blue wig, but it was hard! "We have to gather everyone! I have to tell them something!"

"Oh? What is it?"

"Not now!" I shouted as the music suddenly changed volume (obviously to louder). "Just take me to Sango!"

"Oh, all right!" She waved me off and grabbed my wrist. "C'mon then, I wanna see Sango with her new hairdo!"

Oh boy…

The blue-haired, tiger-striped girl, formerly known as Ayame (or secretly Ayi), literally dragged me through people after people. Of course, after a few more minutes of letting her drag me to devil-knows-where, I started to get incredibly impatient.

Actually, the impatient part got triggered when a huge pot of strawberry pie nearly hit me square in the nose when a weird clown-like man threw it randomly in the air.

"Look, it's Sango!!!" Ayame shouted while I was trying to pry some pie off the side of my face.

Ew…strawberry pie in my ear…

"Ayame!" A familiar voice caught my other ear's attention. "I can _not _believe you talked me into this!"

I looked up from the pounding music and the flashing lights to the girl advancing on Ayame. I gaped. I was rendered completely speechless…

Sango…the punk-like girl…had her hair in two _adorably _cute Chinese buns…and it was tied up with a strawberry based hair band. And… (Oh god)…her cheeks had been painted with two strawberries on each cheeks.

Oh god…oh god, oh god, oh god…

"Oh gee Kagome…calm down…" Ayame looked behind at me and watched the hysterical girl with the laughing fit. "You're going to run out of air before you can tell us about that thing you wanted to say!"

I remembered that…but I couldn't stop laughing.

"You idiot! Just be quiet!!!" Sango yelled at me, but I completely ignored her and fell to my knees…still laughing like a madwoman. "Kagome!!!"

If I had the decency of opening my teary eyes, I would have noticed the enormous grin that was starting to form on Ayame's face. An _evil _grin…

"Hey Sango…"

The fuming woman glared at her. "Don't you start with the strawberry!"

She shook her head. "I think we should give Kagome a little makeover…how about it, Jackaroo?"

I immediately ceased my laughing and I watched a man…or, I think it was a man…suddenly appear in front of me. He was wearing something of a skort and his hair was up with two blueberry shaped decorations. He also had a rather colorful mixture of makeup on…

I would have laughed, I swear I would have…but he was a stranger – so it would have been rude.

"Oh dear! She has so much hidden pores!" He cooed at me.

"…eh?"

Sango and Ayame were snickering in the back as 'Jackaroo' started to drag me onto a chair. I had no idea what the heck was going on.

"Wait, what are you –?" I watched the man take out a thin pain brush. "Hey, what are you doing with – ahh! No, no stop it!"

He snickered as he approached me. "After I'm done with you, you're _so_ going to be called 'gorgeous' by everybody."

"_Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!_ Get away from me! The horror-!!!"

-10 minutes later…-

"Oh the terror…what a world…what a world…I'm melting…the light – the sweat…oh the pain…"

Sango groaned. "Would you just _shut up_ already? You've been at this for ten minutes!!!"

Ayame looked at her watch. "Eleven minutes to be exact now."

The (obviously gay) man stepped back from the moaning me and watched his new masterpiece. "Hmm…you know, I think this is the finest work I've ever done yet!"

"What?!" Sango growled. "Let me see…if that's better than my strawberry makeup, then the mime's talked and we're in another parallel universe."

Ayame blew a low whistle, though none of them heard over the loud booming music. "Oh wow…the mime used up a lot of minutes on his cell phone then…"

I looked from the two gaping girls to a few onlookers that were pointing at me and then at Jackaroo. "What? What did you do to me?!"

The feminine man took out his small hand mirror from his crimson vest and handed it over to me. "Why don't you see for yourself?"

I took the mirror he whipped out and looked closely at it. It was hard to examine in the flashing lights, but it was crystal clear to see what he did to me.

My left eye looked like it had been stamped with a yellow star – or to put it simply, it looked like a star with an eye in the middle. My cheeks were covered with little stars that sparkled like crazy, and my hair was braided into dozens and dozens of braids with star shaped hair decorations.

I think I knew where the makeup was inspired from…

"Oh my…" I noticed the blue mascara. "Oh…god…"

"Well…" Sango cleared her throat. "That's…err…not like my cherry pink mascara…you know, those stars really cover your freckles."

"I don't have freckles!!!"

"Jackaroo, she's gorgeous!" Ayame cried out after staring at me for an uncomfortable moment. "You've outdone your self this time!"

Sango and I exchanged glances, but both of us had to look away because of the star face of mine and the strawberry face of hers. Why did Ayame get to look so nice with the tiger stripes?

"You're right!" The man agreed. "Next, I shall work on my next masterpiece!"

"What's that going to be?" Ayame curiously asked.

"Why, something inspired when I read the fifth book of Harry Potter. Anyone wanna volunteer?"

We all probably had the same thought of a woman painted in green with hundred of moles on her face and nose, so Sango quickly took my wrist and dragged Ayame from the madman, leaving a few panicking onlookers to fend them selves off from this 'Jackaroo' guy.

"That…was just too close…" I panted after a few minutes of pushing through dancing couples and finally barging into a deserted corridor. We got a few hoots and catcalls from some guys on the way, but the only response they got was a glare from Sango and a cold shoulder from me and Ayame.

"But I wanted to see what Jackaroo was going to do…"

Sango shook her head. "Ayame…you ever heard of 'Curiosity Killed the Cat' tragedy?"

"…no."

"…better left unknown for you…" Sango reasoned after a few seconds later…

"Well…look who brought in the dancing beauties."

Ooh…I would have recognized the perverted remark _anywhere_.

We whipped around to see the three guys standing further into the dark corridor and looking as 'bad' as ever. I just _hated _that.

Inuyasha blew a low whistle. "Now – they didn't have _that _in the brochure." He pointed at my oh-so-starry face.

Sango glared at Miroku. "Well, I'm sure you had a very good time with the dancing beauties, now that you mention it."

He smiled kindly. "Now, now…no need to get jealous my dear."

"Who said anything about being jealous?!"

I cleared my throat. "You know, for once in my life I'm glad we're all here."

"Oh?" Kouga asked. "Why's that, K-chan?"

"_Because_," I tried ignoring the four weird stares I got. "I got this stinking bug sucking my blood." I cocked my head and revealed my neck, pushing the heavy amounts of braids away with my other hand.

Ayame blinked and leaned in to look at my neck like everyone else. "Is that a hickie?"

"No!" I groaned.

Miroku was the first to notice what it _really_ was. "What the heck! Kagome, we gotta get that bug off of you!!!"

"Wait, she's bugged?!" Sango's eyes widened as she hissed to make sure she wasn't seeing things.

Everyone's relaxed position immediately changed in to that of a confused/mad/angry one, (whichever you like it).

"Naraku…" Inuyasha growled.

"We got a get that thing off of you!" Ayame whispered, acting as if it's going to blow up if she said anything too loudly. "How about a pincer?"

"No!!!" I yelled at her.

"Be quiet, the bug hears everything you hear!"

Miroku examined the bug (it was weird having everyone crowd around your neck). "I think the music's loud frequency's jammed the bug's monitor device…"

"…" Sango frowned at him. "Okay…so meaning…?"

"Meaning they won't hear anything for now." He shrugged. "We still have to burn the circuit though. Before the music's volume goes down I mean."

"I could get a knife."

"I repeat…no!!!"

"Burn the circuit…" Sango mused with the idea. "Hmm…so we have to burn it with something hot?"

"Boiling water?"

"Ayame – read my lips…no to anything that might hurt my skin!!!"

"How 'bout a hot sauce?" Kouga suggested.

I groaned. "Guys…"

Inuyasha ran his hand through his hair. "This is getting real annoying…"

I groaned. "For the love of Kami…just get this thing off of me!!!"

-

"Naraku."

There was a few seconds of silence from the dark room. "…what is it…?"

"We have information from the six passengers on the ship."

An unseen smirk played across his cold lips. "Good."

The man bowed, showing his respect.

"You may go now."

"Yes sir."

The greasy haired man watched as his faithful right hand man walked out from the shadowed doorway.

He watched his fingers as he leaned onto the table with his elbows on the surface of it. He sighed, but it was a satisfied one.

Well…this was going to be _exceptionally_ fun…

**AN: **Next Chapter – Nerds, Jellies, and Chocolate Chips, Oh My!


	13. Nerds, Jellies, and Chocolate Chips!

I rubbed my sore neck. Keeping your neck sideways for half an hour did things like that to you.

But seriously – who knew a cheap plastic knife and hot boiling tomato sauce could disarm something like an electronic bug?

"Actually," Miroku examined the slightly fizzing object in his palm. "It's not exactly advanced. It looks like it's from a Navy Army Shop."

…

"I feel cheap." Was my dull response.

Sango shook her head. "I can't believe they actually bugged you."

"Hey," I defended myself. "You can be bugged too, ya know."

Ayame blinked. "She has a point."

Inuyasha sighed. "Well, we know that none of us is safe anymore."

"What? You mean their might be hidden cameras around here?" Kouga asked sarcastically.

But then all of us exchanged unsure glances at that precise moment. "Umm…"

Sango shrugged. "What time is it?"

Miroku shook his head. "You're not thinking of going back to your room after finding out Kagome was bugged, now are you?"

"And where else am I supposed to sleep? In _your_ room?"

"Well, that _could _be arranged…"

She blanched. "Miroku! You stinking pervert!!!"

"He has a point though." Kouga mused. "I mean, it's not really safe sleeping in individual rooms."

"Now I didn't think you could say something like 'individual'."

He growled at Ayame. "Just can it, tiger-freak."

"I like my stripes, thank you very much!"

I cracked my neck. "Ow…but what are we supposed to do? I mean, it really isn't safe to sleep in our own rooms anymore."

"So what are we supposed to do?" Sango frowned at me. "Sleep in the boys' side of the room?"

Maybe there would have been a little bell doing the Macarena on top of the guys' head if I hadn't had a light bulb of my own on top of my head.

But then…

"I'm hungry." Ayame started. "Who wants pasta? I'll used what's left of the boiling tomato sauce."

**Get A Life!**

_Nerds, Jellies, and Chocolate Chips, Oh My!_

By: Snowgirl

I snickered. Yup, being evil rocked.

"I can't believe the boys agreed to sleep on the couches in Miroku's room." Ayame fixed her hair while looking into the mirror, but not bothering to wash off the stripes on her face like me and Sango.

"Good thing we got the master bathroom in Miroku's room too." I smiled happily as I splashed my face with the water in my cupped hands. Ahh…so refreshing.

"Yeah, yeah…stop yapping and just get to bed already."

Ayame frowned at Sango, seeing the girl rub furiously at her cheeks. "What's with that attitude? I mean, is the strawberry still not coming off?"

"Just leave her." I smiled humorlessly. "She's kind of mad about the bargain I had with by bro."

"You mean…that trade thing you had with Miroku?" She asked me suspiciously. "What was it?"

Sango promptly brought her hands down on the surface of the sink. "I'm going to bed." And promptly walked out of the door to Inuyasha's room – the room she was sleeping in.

I watched the door swing close. "You ask why Sango is mad, grasshopper?"

"Yeah, and don't call me that." She said with narrowed eyes. "_Sensei_."

I grinned. "I told Miroku that he could grope Sango as much as he wants without any sort of painful reaction from her."

Ayame's jaw dropped. "You did what?!"

Sighing in satisfaction, I struggled trying to unbraid all those…star braided hair of mine. "What? I'm sure Miroku won't do anything _too _perverted."

Ayame slapped her forehead. "Oh gee…"

"And you better wash those stripes off of your face."

"What? Why? _No!_" She protested.

"But…" I blinked trying to act purposely confused. "It's coming off by itself."

"Hmm?" Ayame looked back into the mirror and saw parts of the stripes quickly coming off in little drops of paint. It looked as if her face was melting. "Err…maybe I'll have to wash it off then."

"Good idea."

-

**-Bam- **

"Ahh!"

I swear I could have woken up the person sleeping in the second class bunk beneath my room with that huge thud I made when I fell to the floor.

"What?!" I groaned after I sat up, or tried to with my legs still entwined with the sheets on the bed. I probably looked like a cavewoman with my hair in front of my face.

"Are you going to get up or not?" An annoyed voice called from behind the closed door. "It's already lunchtime! I already had brunch you know!"

Brunch…? Since when did Sango eat between breakfast and lunch…?

"Kagome? Are you in there?"

"I'm up, I'm up!" Growling, I held my pounding forehead and pushed the sheets away. "Stinking…stupid…idiotic…furbelow…" And my growling turned into an angry incoherent muttering after that.

"What's with you?" Sango watched the girl slam the door open, seeing me slowly yet surely stomp my way towards the bathroom, my hair a complete mess and my back hunched.

"Oh be quiet."

She shook her head. "You look worse then the guys when _they _woke up. I mean, they looked real bad with their bad hairs…but you…"

I growled. "Hope Miroku tried to grope you."

"Hey!"

I struggled to bend down and tried to open the bottom cabinet. Sango watched me groaning and suffering for a whole minute before she actually told me that the hairbrush was beside the sink.

Sango snickered while I cursed at her and threw a shampoo bottle, though she easily dodged it.

"Stinking…freaking…stupid…"

"Can't straighten your hair?" Sango shook her head while she leaned on the doorway. "But seriously, I really have to talk to you."

"Better…be something…important." I grumbled.

"It's about this…whole Naraku thing."

That caught my attention. "Naraku? The Gang Leader?"

She nodded and I looked back at the mirror, continuing to brush my hair. "The end of the cruise isn't that far."

"Time flies by."

"But we're not exactly safe when we get back to the vacation house." She sighed. "Heck, the next time we're not prepared – he might do something worse than dye Ayame green."

"Well…yeah, I guess." I replied unsurely, not understanding what she meant. But really; what can be worse than dying Ayame green? Unless…if I was dyed green…that would be worse…

"So, I think it's a better idea if we go our separate ways."

My eyes widened. "What?!" I dropped the brush back beside the sink and turned to Sango, my energy now renewed.

"Kagome please." Sango sighed. "This was just a vacation anyway. It wasn't exactly meant to be for long."

"But…I…" My mouth just kept opening and closing like a fish's. "I meant for the vacation to be long…honestly…I did!"

"Look, no offense or anything, but if all of us stay together this whole thing might get more bothersome. I mean, if we split up, we'll get into less trouble."

"Sango…" I bit my bottom lip. Darn it…she was making a good sense. "We can't just…split up…it's not right!"

Sango cocked her head and narrowed her eyes. "Kagome…you're stalling."

I shook my head. "You…you can't be serious…" I took a shaky breath in. "Have you told anyone else about this…_decision_?"

"Well, I've been talking to Inuyasha about this 'decision', as you put it, and he said it might be better for us to split up too. I mean, better than staying in one spot for Naraku to find us all."

Oh man…even Inuyasha?!

"C'mon Kagome, don't look so crushed." Sango smiled, but sadly. "You're really making me feel bad about me being the one to tell you."

I looked back into the mirror and blinked dully. So…it was over like that? After all that happened…it's going to end…it felt like an eternity being with these guys, but now it was more like I've been with them for only a day.

"Kagome? Kagome, snap out of it! It looks like you're going to pass out!"

"Huh, what?" I blinked and hastily shook my head. "Oh…damn, it wasn't a nightmare…"

"…oh give me a break."

I grinned, but it was too forced. "So, you haven't told this to anyone else yet?" Maybe there still was a chance. I mean, Miroku wouldn't surely let Sango go _that_ easily.

"Well, no…but –"

"Okay then, let's go get lunch in the cafeteria!!!" Now with a bright smile on, I cheerfully laughed. "We're going to have to tell _everyone _about this whole thing then!"

Sango gaped. "But…but Kagome!"

"C'mon Sango! Let's go!"

"But Kagome!" She followed after me with a very confused look. "Hey! Wait up – you're still wearing your pajama for Pete's sake!!!"

-

"What?!"

I nodded vigorously. Okay, sure I had a rough start ("I can't get this dang nightgown off!!!"), but there was no way I was letting Sango (and maybe Inuyasha) go without a fight.

"You can't…you can't just _leave_!" Ayame continued on, horrorstruck.

I shoved a spoonful of broccoli, thinking it was ice cream, while nodding along with Ayame's complaining. I'm not exactly disgusted with broccolis, but when you eat something while thinking it's something else you sort of get a nice little surprise afterwards…

Inuyasha sighed while he watched what was going on with his two 'buddies'. Ayame and Sango madly trying to make the other change their mind while I suddenly had a mysterious case or the coughing fit.

"Look, it's better to split up and make it harder for Naraku to find us. I mean, how do you think we survived with him on our tails for all those years _before _we met you guys?" Sango explained.

"That's because Kikyou was with you guys!!!" Ayame exasperatedly said. "And besides, where the heck am I supposed to go? No job, _remember_?!"

"Go back to Hawaii or something." Kouga grumbled. Oh no! Not him too! "Hot girls can easily get a job there. Especially as a lifeguard or whatever…"

Ayame blinked. "…are you saying I'm hot?"

He slightly edged back. "Hey, wait a minute – that's not what I –"

But Inuyasha cut him off.

"The only thing we can do is split up. Seriously; do you want the same thing to happen again?!" He growled, though he seemed to pointedly look at me for some reason.

I frowned. "Well, I can live with honey in my hair –"

"I mean getting nearly raped again!"

"…oh."

Ayame bit her bottom lip and guiltily massaged the side of her cheek that was still bandaged. "Mm…he has a point…"

Miroku smiled at this awkward moment. "Guys…I think it's better to talk about something else at this moment. We could talk about what we should do back at the vacationing house." He gave me a quick glance at my direction. Smart guy…trying to buy some time, eh Priest?

Sango frowned then sighed. "Well…now that you mention about the vacationing house, I'm starting to worry if Kirara has enough milk left…"

"Are you kidding me? You left two ton buckets of milk next to the kitchen table. I think she can find her way to them." Inuyasha, trying to ignore my glare, rolled his eyes.

"And speaking of milk…" Kouga poked his fork into something of a bouncing food on his tray. "What _is_ this thing?!"

"It's milk flavored jelly." Ayame grudgingly told him.

"Disgusting! It looks like it's alive…"

She growled. "I like the jelly, thank you very much!"

I watched the odd oh-so-important conversations they were having and looked to Miroku, the only one other than me who wasn't bickering away with the others about food.

"Miroku, what are you eating?" I asked while I watched him plop a few round things in his mouth.

"Chocolate chips of course." He replied in a distant manner. "What did you think it was?"

I shook my head and picked up a small candy box from my tray beside my melted ice cream. "I don't usually see people pick all those chocolate chips off the cookies and eat them first."

"It's very good. Why isn't it casual? I see you dunk half of the Oreo into the milk first, then eat the other half before taking a bit out of the milk covered one instead too."

"Miroku, that's because it's _Oreo_." I sniffed as snobbishly as I can. "Beside, Nerds are _much _better than chocolate chips."

"Are not!" He frowned at me as he crunched away on his chocolate chips.

"Are too!"

"Are not!"

"Are too!"

"Are not!"

"Are too!"

"Not!"

"Too!"

"Not!"

"Too!"

"Guys!!!"

Miroku and I backed up, completely startled by Sango's joined yell that disrupted the 'warm' sibling conversation.

"What are you guys bickering about? You guys are starting to attract people's uninvited stares!!!" She hissed while trying to look casual at the same time.

So much for acting as normal as possible from these other guys.

"I was having an important conversation with my bro here!!!"

She cleared her throat. "And may I ask, what, exactly, that may be?"

"Yes you may." I raised my chain to look as serious as possible. "I was having a quarrel with Miroku over which is better – Nerds-…or _Chocolate Chips_." I spat the last two words out, earning a satisfying glare from Miroku's way.

Oh, I felt smug all right.

For a moment, there was complete silence and I mean complete silence. It was as if all the passengers on the ship inside the cafeteria were listening to me.

Then…

"I sort of like Nerds, actually." Ayame shrugged.

Kouga snorted. "You have bad taste. Chocolate Chips are _way _better! Besides, why would anyone ask a girl who likes _Milk Jelly_?"

Sango frowned. "Personally, I like Chocolate Chips _and_ Nerds, but since this is Miroku we're talking about, I'm taking the girl's side."

"Traitor." Inuyasha growled as he stood beside Kouga and Miroku. "You pick off all the Chocolate Chips on your cookies first too!"

"That was once, and I'm never going to do that again!" She growled as she sided with me and Ayame on the opposite side of the table.

This was getting out of hand.

"Hey, I like Nerds too!" A girl who looked about Sango's age joined us from the table behind us, surprising everyone else in the cafeteria.

Err…

"Sorry girls, but I gotta side with the boys." Jackaroo, who I had no idea where he came from, sided with them. The three guys were edging away with a nervous look at Jackaroo and his very 'seductive' pose.

Ha, ha, ha, ha…one point for the girl's team.

"Kouga, you don't even know anything about girls." Ayame, probably feeling proud she was in the 'right' team (in her mind), told him. "I mean, you act big, but you probably aren't that educated or even know how to handle a single girl if they came on to – Ah!!!"

She and Sango (since Sango was standing behind Ayame) had to duck when a handful of milk jelly flew at them and instead hit the wall with an odd sort of splat.

Ew…what was left of the jelly slid down to the floor.

There was a momentary silence after that before I glared at Miroku. "This is all your fault!"

"What did I do?!"

I narrowed my eyes and ripped open the top of the Nerds' box, making it look as dramatic as possible. "For _liking Chocolate Chips_." And with a mighty gasp of air, I flung the entire Nerds inside that one single, tiny box at him with my hand like a catapult.

Half of the Nerds had hit him square in the forehead or his instinctively closed eyes, while the other half flew right into his mouth.

He had to bend down and cough because of the pure hotty hotness of the Nerds.

Mu wha ha ha ha ha…Sour Nerds rules!

"You wench!" Inuyasha threw a chocolate chip cookie at us in pure random.

"Sango! Watch out!!!" Ayame yelled as if it was war and jumped away from the flying cookie.

The girls watched in horror as the cookie made its way for the older teen. Just as it appeared that all hope would be lost for the girl, she reached out with her hand and grasped it, catching it in midair. The look in his eyes was murderous, and she slowly squeezed the cookie with vice grip until all the crumbs and the chips plopped out from her fist.

I gasped. She was a goddess!

Then, she took the sack of Nerds that was on my tray, unstuck two, and flung one at one of the boys. It hit Jackaroo in the forehead, knocking him over (he tripped on the leg of a chair, if you're wondering how he can be defeated by one single Nerd).

In rage, another Chocolate Chip lover (who had obviously sided with the boys) threw a chocolate cookie _sprinkled _with chocolate chips (the horror!) that hit Ayame in the chest. She grunted and stumbled backwards (she actually slipped on a banana peel), before she took a handful of the liquid like milk jelly and threw it with all her might back at the guy that dared to attack her. It landed in his mouth, causing him to gurgle and spit because of its milky wonder.

This is when the tension in the room broke at last.

I don't know when or where a girl or a guy yelled (probably Jackaroo); "Food Fight!" but moments later girls were siding on our side of the cafeteria while guys were siding on the opposite side. I think the crew attendants standing at the door were helpless now to do anything to stop this crazy mayhem but to watch and suffer the horrible consequences of not joining with anyone's side.

Girls were joining on taking all the Nerds and Milk Jellies (no matter if they liked it or not) without paying the cafeteria woman and sooner then she could say; "Hey you kids! Pay up or else!" Chocolate chips and Nerds were whizzing through the air like bullets with Milk Jellies being flung at the boys by girls with spoons.

The people that didn't bother siding with any of the teams (probably thinking this was a joke) was forced to endure the suffering and agony of being the practice targets of both girls' and guys' sides. Before they knew it, they were covered in nerds, chips, and what was left of the jellies from head to toe.

The first of the good guys (the girls' side) to fall was Ayame.

A chocolate chip flew right into her mouth, and I swear it couldn't have been more precise. It literally got stuck in her windpipe and she was seriously and extremely _chocking_. But since no one could help her (being that she was so close to the enemy line), her chocking turned into HACKING, and she soon collapsed on the floor, gasping for air and twitching every few minutes.

Everyone couldn't help but to watch what was happening to Ayame and momentarily stop the fight, but in a few seconds the girls were even angrier and more pissed than before.

I didn't get why nobody went to help Ayame, but I just shrugged it off and yelled, leading a Nerds and Jellies' attack against the boys. I didn't really understand what the food fight was going to solve, but I didn't start arguing. I mean, everybody seemed to enjoy (or were to preoccupied to notice anything else) the food fight and thought as perfectly acceptable, so I continued on the attack.

Suddenly, the girls and the guys seemed to remember that they had better weapons at the tables; knives, forks, and chairs. But they all decided they liked the food fight better (less casualties you see) so they promptly forgot their better weapons and kept throwing food.

A few girls decided to agree in their own little plan that the white milk jellies didn't seem as if it was doing any damage to the boys, so they dashed towards the jelly line and grabbed a handful of red, white, and blue jellies (Oh America…what has happened to ye?).

Seconds later the whole place was popping with fireworks of blue and white jellies in the air, raining down on both sides.

I panicked when a red jelly stuck into my eye.

"First ship going down! Fall back, fall back! My eyes! The burn, the pain! _THE RED JELLY!!!_" I ran around in agony until I tripped over Ayame's twitching form and landed square in the face.

I swear the whole place was the Fourth of July by the time I sat up and rubbed the jelly out of my eyes.

The guys were beginning to look like real soldiers covered in their own blood, but fighting for their rights and leading an attack against the girls. Of course, in reality it was only red jelly so the dramatic effect sort of failed there. Actually, they were starting to look like a bottle of Pepto-Bismol since they were covered more in the white jellies.

"Kagome! Get Ayame over here!" Sango cried from somewhere far behind me. "You're too close to the enemy line!!!"

I gathered all my strength and courage as I grabbed Ayame's slightly unconscious forearm and started to drag her towards the girl's side. That was when I noticed just how close I was to the boys.

"Now we strike!" Inuyasha's ominous yell boomed into the cafeteria.

"Ah! Sango, help! We're going _down_!!!" I yelled for help as I felt the food starting to seep into my clothes. "Distract them!!!"

Sango nodded and dramatically saluted, gathering all the girls and starting to huddle them into making some sort of a plan, while I desperately struggled to drag the twitching Ayame to their side – like a wounded soldier.

"Ow!!!" I cried out in agony as a chocolate chip stuck behind my ear. "I've been tainted…I mean I've been _hit_!" I screamed in horror when the men started to advance on me and Ayame. _"No!!!"_

_"Attack!!!" _

But before I comprehended what the heck was going on, a wave of _gigantic_ cookies flew from behind me, nearly missing my head, and shot towards the boys.

One of them hit precisely on Inuyasha's forehead and he flew against the wall, headfirst (it wasn't that dramatic, actually, seeing that he only slipped on a rogue jelly on the food covered floor).

Wait…they weren't giant cookies…

_THEY WERE KRISPY KREME DONUTS!!! _

_"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"_

My yell of agony was drowned out by the guys' manly screams, since, at the same time, they had also found out to their horror that they were being chucked by the god of all donuts. They didn't even bother covering themselves as the glazed and the jelly filled ones started to fly at them.

"Get a hold of yourself, woman!" Sango screamed as she and some girls helped me and Ayame back to their side. They were looking slightly solemn by their own act too.

"But…the terror…" I sobbed in pure pain.

She slapped me senseless upside the head with dramatic tears in her eyes. "We had to sacrifice the donuts! Do you think we liked sacrificing the lemon filled ones? Do you? _Do you?!_"

"But why Krispy Kreme? Why? _Why?!_"

The girls looked away and seemed ashamed of themselves for their choice. Well, my job was done.

"Commander!" A girl came up to Sango.

Hey…since when did she get to be the commander?

"What is it lieutenant?"

It was the girl that was the first to join our league being called the lieutenant. Well, I guess I understood the food chain now. I mean, the way Sango crashed the cookie… (Sniff) sorry, but it was so beautiful…she just deserved being called the commander…

"They are starting to throw Hot Cheetos at us!"

All of our eyes widened. "What?! Not the Hot Cheetos!!!"

"Commander! Watch out!" The lieutenant pushed Sango out of the way as a red streak of blur shot passed her. We all backed away as a loud pop emitted from the red chip and a crack forced us to cover our eyes.

I looked down at the cheese smelling smoke filling the air and identified the food. I gasped. "They're already attacking with the Hot Cheetos!" I hastily got up. "Retreat! RETREAT! _RUN__ FOR YOU _ _LIFE_"

And all heck broke loose…I mean more chaos than before.

The girls' side was now completely broken, and the boys had a huge advantage over us. The girls were running away for their dear life and they were unable to keep in groups anymore.

I ran like the wind to the exit in hopes of not getting caught, but I soon found my way blocked as a few chips cracked before my eyes. I _swear_ it was worse than the red jellies.

"Ah! My eyes!!!"

But Sango and the lieutenant was completely out of sight with all the foods been thrown, so there was no one to help me.

I took up all my energy and trudged through the jellies and the donuts (sob) to the door…

…only to find it completely locked.

"What?!"

"No one's getting out of here!!!"

I turned to my horror to see the familiar silver haired Inuyasha running at me, full straight out without any hesitation whatsoever. But the worst part was he had a jelly filled donut in one hand and (gasp) a sack of chocolate chips in the other.

I screamed and grunted as Inuyasha full straight tackled me onto the door, his shoulder connecting with my abdomen.

Trapped on the wall with Inuyasha in front of me, I struggled to get away. "No! Anything but that! Not that chocolate chips!!!"

"You'll pay for using the donuts against us!" He yelled at me as he shoved the donut, straight into my mouth.

My cry for help was muffled out and I completely lost my balance, falling to the side and landing with a dull thud on my back, Inuyasha on top of me – still with his chocolate chips.

I spat out what was left of the jelly filled donut from my mouth and screamed for help, trying to fend off Inuyasha with my tiny hands.

_"Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!! Not the chips! Anything but that chocolaty goodness!" _

"Stop wiggling around! I'll make your demise as fast and painless as possible if you just stop moving!!!"

But I spotted his crossed finger behind his back and screamed even louder. _"Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!" _

Just as he was about to pour the sack of chocolate into my mouth, I heaved and pushed him off of me with all my strength. I think I pulled a muscle doing that, but I was too desperate to notice.

"You wench!" He grabbed my wrist as I was about to run for my life and pulled me back down to the floor again.

But Lady Luck was somewhere above me (for once) and my hand connected with a plastic knife.

As Inuyasha readied to open the sack of the chocolaty chips, I stuck the knife into the sack before he could do anything and chips after chips fell out.

"No! What have you done?!" Inuyasha dropped the sack beside my head to his horror, seeing the chocolate starting to cover my shoulder. "The chocolaty goodness!"

I tried to roll away from the sack of chocolate, but since Inuyasha was still on top of me, this caused for him to be forced to lay under me. But then he didn't like that position so he rolled to the side, which caused me to lay under him and switch position with me. But I also didn't like that…so the rolling chaos began.

After a few minutes of struggling to take the dominate position, my head began to hurt, and I swear my eyes were probably swirling in circles by now.

"Ha! And I win!" Inuyasha cried as he leaned into me, grabbing my forearm and snickering down at my dizzy face.

"Inuyasha, get off!!!" I growled as I tried to push him off of me. God, he was such a pervert!

"Never!"

"You sicko!"

"Wench!"

"Pervert!"

"Annoying whore!"

"What?!" I yelled. "Oh why I ought to –!" I screamed at him and bended my knees, trying to use my feet to push his stomach so he would be forced to get off of me.

But I think the jelly attached onto my sandals were too slippery for their own good, so instead of my feet connecting with his abdomen, it slipped and my legs somehow ended up wrapped around his waist.

Okay, so picture me and Inuyasha in the middle of the floor with a huge food fight going on around us, and me lying beneath him with my hands on his shoulders and my legs wrapped around his waist, and the only thing that was supporting his face from mine was his two arms.

Awkwardness…just pure embarrassment…

"Err…" Even Inuyasha was too speechless to say anything.

I was gaping like crazy until I got some sense into me. "What the…get…get off Inu!!!"

He blinked. "Me get off?! You're the one with your legs wrapped around my waist!"

"You're the one on top of me!"

"Oh c'mon – admit it!" He smirked, and heck it was the most annoying and arrogant smirk I've ever seen him give to anyone yet (Kami kill me)! "You like me being on top of you!"

"What?!" I couldn't help but blush. But really, it's not easy controlling a blush! "Are you kidding me?! I won't be someone's stinking whore you know that?!"

"Oh…but you're so cute." He leaned even closer to me, the tip of his nose already brushing against mine.

Oh man…I wish I was Pinocchio. I could just lie my way out of this if I was like the wooden boy…

With a tomato face of mine, I growled at him.

_"Get off!" _

"But why?" Ahh! His lips were just millimeters away from mine!!! _BUT I WANTED TO KEEP MY VIRGINITY!!!_

So I did the only thing I could. _"Get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off, get off!!!" _

…whine like crazy until he got off of me.

He blinked with his mouth in a perfect O.

"…"

"_Get off, get off, get off, get off, get – _ UVV!"

Inuyasha growled with a sweatdrop as he slapped his hand on my mouth. "All right, all right! I'll get off!" He, still with his hand on my mouth, got off of me as I loosened my legs around his waist and rolled beside me onto the floor.

I took his hand off my mouth and spat out. "Ah! You still got the taste of chocolate on your hand!"

"Oh really?" He pouted. "And you don't like it?"

"Bah! Just get away from me!" I started to crawl away until his familiar arm wrapped around my neck – sort of in a headlock but surprisingly gently. "Hey!"

"Well, let's see if you like this, mm?" He bent down and kissed me square on the cheek, his arms still wrapped securely around my neck.

I gaped and blushed in seven different colors of red until his wet lips left my skin (which was like two minutes later) and took his arms from my neck.

"Hope to see you alive after this K-chan!" He laughed as he started to run back to the guys' side. In the midst of what happened, the girls had been able to restore order (if that's possible) and get back to where they were posted while starting to throw back donuts at the guys in pure menacing anger. "Because I'm not exactly done with you just yet!"

I was left there to gape at Inuyasha until something go onto my face and I couldn't see where he was anymore. Or anything for that matter.

Wait a second…

"Hey!" I yelled at no on in particular. "Who threw the meatball?!"

**AN: **Next Chapter – _Curiosity Kidnapped the Cat_ (hmm…just a bit ominous, eh?)


	14. Curiosity Kidnapped the Cat

"But Sango, you have to do it!"

I urged the older girl forward while everyone else stayed where they were, staring maliciously at the other side of the room.

"It's for the good of our girls. You must do this or we're **doomed**!"

"No! _Never_!" Sango struggled and spun around, facing me with a desperate look (and also getting a piece of jelly in my face thanks to her wet hair). "We can't just surrender now! There has to be a way to end this fight!"

"But we're not surrendering! We're making peace – you're lucky Miroku offered the chance to do this anyway!" I leaned in, ignoring the piece of meatball stuck to my bangs. "Besides…you know they got more firepower with their macaronis…"

Sango bit her bottom lip. "I hate to admit it, but you're right…yet I just _know_ Miroku's not going to make this easy…"

"Sango, for the good of our people…" I pointed back to all the girls standing behind us – all at least covered in three different colors of jellies and maybe one flavored donut. "You must do this. Besides…I can't stand this pizza sauce seeping into my clothes; it's disgusting! Yet good smelling…"

"You have a point there." Sango sighed. "All right…we'll have to call it a…_tie_ then."

It seemed painful for her to say this, but I nodded with a brave soldier look and pushed her onward to the middle of the room. The boys and the girls were all holding a handful of jelly and donuts; just in case this peace agreement didn't work out.

I watched Sango trudge through the heavy amounts of spaghetti on the floor to the middle of the cafeteria and stopped right in front of Miroku.

The two commanders of each side of the team looked at each other (Miroku looked more relaxed and easygoing, actually…). The two sides on the either side of the walls held their breath…and watched what was to happen.

"So…" Sango started, her eyes tightly narrowed and watching Miroku with a fixed, hard look.

"Well…" Miroku casually smiled. "You know, I didn't think anything like this was going to happen when I woke up this morning."

"Same he– I mean, what the heck are you talking about? What about the peace agreement?" Sango growled, nearly caught off guard. _Nearly_.

He blinked. "Oh yes…err…let's see here." He dug a few things from his pocket until he found what he was looking for; a piece of paper with a few scribbles on it. "I therefore agree to the peace treaty that our fight shall end from this day forward and should never be repeated again. Sign here…I mean, I'll sign here then." He took out a pen and signed his signature, then handing the pen to Sango and letting her sign it.

Sango quickly signed her name, not wanting to be less than two feet close to Miroku, and hurriedly gave back the pen to the guy. "There…agreed."

Miroku held his hand out. "Shake on it, miss."

"Grr…" She took his hand and roughly shook it. That was when her guard had quickly lowered down.

And Miroku took a full advantage of that.

"ARRRRRRRRRRGH!!!" Sango stepped back and flung her hand at his cheek, holding her rear with her other hand; the same spot he had just momentarily groped. "You…of all the times…you JERK!!!"

"But Sango, we had an agreement before that I can and _will_ grope you without any painful reaction from you whatsoever!" He held his own probably red hand-printed cheek, looking a bit annoyed himself.

"No deal!" She cried and reached for the treaty on the table.

"No!"

But before Miroku could stop her, she took the signed paper with each of her hands and promptly ripped it in half. "The treaty's not acceptable! _The – war – must – continue!!!_"

Miroku narrowed his eyes but an evil smirk appeared afterwards. "The war continues?! All right then!"

I gaped. Oh man…

All the girls gasped as Miroku suddenly threw a lemon filled donut at Sango (hidden behind his vest pocket for easy reaching), and in such a close range, she got hit smack in the forehead.

She stumbled back, obviously hit and going down.

That was the last straw. I mean, a jelly filled donut – we could understand. But lemon filled donut? That was so royally intolerable, man!

The girls, in a fit of pure rage, held up their weapons and started throwing every food they could reach to the other side of the cafeteria.

I looked around and screamed, ducking as the two sides suddenly started to lead an attack against each other, everyone holding their own food of choice.

_"ATTACK!!!" _

…

By now, you're getting the hint that this is what the word 'ordinary' is like for me…every, single, _bloody_, day.

**Get A Life!**

_Curiosity Kidnapped the Cat_

By: Snowgirl (or now known as SnowShadowuser – Double S)

"God…what is _in_ my hair?!"

Sango scrunched her nose and examined the brown headed girl's hair. "Umm…spaghetti?"

"Oh…" Ayame shrugged. "I thought it was worms…I guess spaghetti's better…I think."

I sniffed. "Oh gee…I thought smelling like Coke was bad. But now ravioli? Ow…"

"Since when did the guys start throwing raviolis?" Sango raised her eyebrow.

"Since we started throwing brownies at them." Ayame sighed. "Too bad though…I love brownies…"

She shook her head. "Just feel lucky no one squealed on us. We would have had to pay all the food used for the food fight. Hey, pass me the clothes."

I handed her some of my shirts and let her pack up the luggages while I tried to splash some water on my tomato blotched face in the bathroom. Much like Ayame trying to brush all the food pieces from her hair.

"This is ridiculous…" She growled while she tried to fight a nasty knot with her brush.

"I can't believe the cruise is already ended." I sighed.

"Would you stop whining and help me pack? The ship arrives back to Hawaii's main dock in half an hour."

I glared at Sango. "Yeah, yeah, yeah…stinking queen…"

"What?"

"Nothing…" I exchanged knowing glances with Ayame beside me. Sango obviously wasn't nervous with what was going to happen when we got back to the vacationing house.

I watched Sango go to the closet and start taking a few clothes off the hangers. "So…do you think she's worried too and hiding it?"

"If she is, she's real good at covering up her feelings." Ayame took the last of the jelly off her hair and sighed onto the mirror. "Unless she's going to enjoy splitting up from the group."

"Since when did we have a group?" I blinked. "But…yeah, I'm going to miss everyone if we really are going to have to split up…"

"Where are you planning to go?"

I frowned. "Well, it is already way passed Christmas…but we haven't got any challenges from any rivals…for Miroku, I mean…"

Ayame sighed. "Well…at least I'm going to be comforted by the fact that you'll be somewhere in Hawaii."

"Somewhere?"

She rolled her eyes. "Well yeah, I'm going to have to go on a job hunt…seeing that I was _fired…_"

"…oh yeah…"

The two of us in the bathroom jumped when a huge 'beep' echoed through the rooms of the ships. From a loud crash that came from the closet, it seemed like Sango had been caught off guard too.

_Ladies and Gentlemen: We are nearing the main dock of _ _Hawaii__ in a few minutes. We would like to say a sad farewell to all the passengers that had boarded the one week cruise – especially to all that had so kindly joined in the _spectacular _food fight… _

I had to snicker along with Ayame there.

_We wish you a safe trip to your homes. This is the captain. Over and out. _

Yawning, I shook my head. "You can tell that captain guy _wants _us to go."

"True."

Ayame and I shrieked and snapped around to look at the very serious looking Sango, leaning on the doorway. "Ah!"

She grinned. "There's a thing about helping out. Maybe you haven't heard about it?"

Ayame grinned innocently. "Well…" But before she could even start, a white overlarge t-shirt got stuck onto her face. "ARGH!"

"Get moving, or else!" Sango growled and threw a short at me, which I caught thanks to Ayame's warning cry.

As the older girl left, I chanced a glance towards Ayame's way, now currently taking off the t-shirt from her head with a disgusted look.

"You know what I think?"

"That no one did the laundry?" She looked down at the shirt and sniffed, scrunching her nose up.

"No…" I rolled my eyes. "I think Sango's still mad about the groping incident."

"Ooh…yeah. I mean, I guess public groping by a hot guy's more embarrassing than indoor g–"

_"Get to work!" _

And before you could even have a chance to blink, Ayame was trying to dodge all the clothes making a pile around us while I was yelling _'BLOODY MURDER!!!'_ at the top of my lungs.

-

I looked up at the setting sky. Figures it would be night by the time the taxis got to the vacation house.

"What's the tip?" Sango asked, in better mood than before (thank god), taking out her wallet as me and Ayame got out of the yellow cab.

"I smell like…" Ayame sniffed her wrist while taking out her luggage from the trunk of the car. "Dirty laundry…"

"Figures, eh?"

"What the heck is wrong with these drivers?"

I turned around, Miroku grumbling a few incoherent strings of words as he walked to our side with his rather relatively smaller luggage (and no, I didn't mean for it to be plural).

"I mean, demanding twenty percent tip? Ridiculous!"

"Preposterous!" I held my hands up and cried like a fool as he passed me, earning a giggle from Ayame and a menacing glare from Miroku.

"I do _not_ sound like that!"

I waved him off. "Calm your horses…hey," I looked behind him as the yellow cab he got off drove away. "Where are the others? You left them behind?"

"No, not that I wouldn't have, but no." He shook his head. "We agreed to take separate taxis…you know the girls around here. They can't control themselves."

This earned the glares of us three girls as our taxi drove away.

Miroku sighed. "I wasn't including you guys." He looked at us dully as he nodded behind him. "It's the girls in the night streets. You know how they are."

It actually was, surprisingly, true. There were a lot of girls behind him, and a lot of girls wearing jeans and bikini tops were walking around in the nightlights.

"I could find a guy similar to that description." Sango growled and walked away with her luggage while fondling the front door keys in her back pocket.

I sighed along with Ayame as Miroku blinked and shook my head.

"She's obviously still pissed at you…_Miroku_." Ayame said with her pair of comical frowning eyes. "…I think that rhymed…"

He shrugged, but he still looked a bit disturbed. "She'll get over it. She always does…"

"But how long can this cycle of life last, my grasshopper?" I asked with a very mystical expression, but my serene look immediately dropped when I got two odd stares as the result. I cleared my throat. "Anyway, I think we should get in before any of the girls pounce on Miroku. They're giving me chills just by their…err, _looks_."

So I quickly took my 'bro's' forearm and dragged him to the small house that stood out in front of the beach. Nightlife was sure colorful in Hawaii…

"There we go." Ayame gasped out as she dropped her bags, literally kicking the door open.

"What is…that?!"

I blinked and looked around at the incredibly messy kitchen, Miroku covering his nose and dropping his bag in the same fashion as Ayame.

"Man…" I massaged my shoulder and looked around the kitchen. Chairs overturned, plates on the floor, drawers open… "Were we robbed or something?"

"Nah…I think Kirara just got incredibly hungry." Sango, coming from the bathroom, held up two enormous buckets. A droplet of milk dripped as she turned them upside down. "Figures she'd do something like this."

Ayame gaped. "You mean Kirara did…_this?!_" She stretched her hands out to show the robbed-looking kitchen.

"Well…it's not like she hasn't done this before."

I sighed and rubbed my eyes. "Say…speaking of that cat – where is she anyway?"

"Probably somewhere in the beach." Sango yawned. "Kagome, can you do me a favor and get Kirara for me? Ayame's going to help me make dinner."

"Since when?"

Sango glared at Ayame. "Since I'm the one who's practically paying the rent for this place."

"…oh."

I watched Sango go to the living room. I blinked and looked at the other two in the kitchen. "Since when did cooking involve going to the living room?"

Ayame shrugged and walked over to the refrigerator. "I guess she just wanted to get away from Miroku as far away as possible."

Miroku looked at the two of us and sighed. "Fine – I'll go talk to her."

"And _don't _even think about doing anything more than just _talking _to her." I reminded him as I walked out the backdoor.

Well…sort of peaceful on the beach if you ignored the people walking around the place…practically naked. Bah.

"Hey Kirara." I looked around the colorful beach, obviously tired. "C'mon Kirara…hear kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty…"

I sighed and looked around. Oh great…this was just impossible. How the heck was I supposed to find a cat in the _dark_?

_"Kirara-!"_ I moaned. "Why couldn't you have been _fat_? Like Buyo…or at least have your legs amputated…Gya…"

Cracking my sore neck, I growled and looked around, my eyes already blurring. Was I _that_ tired?

"Mew…"

Mew? Wasn't it meow…oh wait, it was Kirara…

"Kirara?" I snapped towards the streets and narrowed my eyes. What the…

Everything was getting so blurry…but, why was Kirara in a black pickup truck? And the queerest part was the guy walking towards me. My eyes…they were getting so heavy.

"Just sleep princess." He said, though his voice seemed a bit muffled.

And before I could react or even back away, he held up a spray can. I didn't know if it was a bug spray or a can of massaging spray (or whatever the heck it was), but moments later, I felt a light shower of liquid splash on my face.

I was falling face first onto the sand before you could say, _"What in the Drunken Pink Jumbo Elephant?!"_.

And then everything just stopped there.

-

"Oh come _on_…why can't I have a go at her…at least once?"

"_No_. Boss's order – besides, he'll notice if we ruffled her up a bit."

I narrowed my eyes open into tight slits. The surface underneath me felt a little rough; not like the sand. I was definitely somewhere other than the beach. Besides, I felt the surface I was on moving. And beaches didn't move.

…

Who am I kidding. I was still tired.

"But c'mon. Just one go at her. I mean, she's right there in the back of the truck…it'll be a waste of flesh –"

"Stop tempting me!" A muffled voice grunted back.

I fully opened my eyes. Hey…the last I checked, the sky was black with stars and not a shade of dark green with little black dots…

Blinking, I tried not to groan and rubbed my head. So many muffled laughs and yells…but why was everything muffled…?

My head was working overtime…

I sighed, but nearly choked when I nearly swallowed in a fabric.

"You hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"Those chocking, gurgling sounds…like a cat coughing out a fur ball."

"Well, the cat _is _in the back of the pickup." He said between audible yawns.

"Yeah but –"

The other guy cut him off. "Just shut up well ya? We're supposed to catch a flight to Tokyo by sunrise and smuggle a chick and…do whatever with the cat. It's probably the babes roaming the street or whatever you're hearing."

I frowned. Tokyo…okay, everything was coming back to me.

I was looking for Kirara…and then I fell…with a guy in front of me…

That's when I realized that my face was wet. I rubbed the liquid off of my face but paused when I realized something. It…smelled like…?

I gaped. I was abducted!

Clasping my mouth to hold myself from screaming, my eyes swiveled from here and there, keeping myself flat on the hard surface. I was covered in a green blanket with holes in them…so that meant I was in the back of the truck…so where was –

"Mew…"

"Kirara!" I hissed, turning my head to see the cat poke its head inside the blanket I was covered in. I started to panic when the cat didn't stop mewing. Maybe I was being sensitive. I mean, there was so many music and noises on the streets…but I had been just kidnapped. "Kirara, shut up! No, stop meowing…or mewing! Whatever!"

"Say…do you hear that?"

"Would you shut up already?"

I held my breath.

"The girl can't be awake. I made sure she got some of that anesthetic in her mouth."

"But…what about the cat?"

"What, you think it'll unlatch the back of the pickup?"

A momentary silence, then – "Good point."

I licked my lips, which was sort of stupid to do, since there still might have had some of the liquid on my skin, but I had to be sure. Nada…guess he hadn't checked if I had really gotten any in my mouth.

Well, that was good.

But I didn't know what to do.

That was bad.

I looked back at Kirara who had already snuggled into the blanket and made herself comfortable beside my head. Aw…how cute…but then I remembered that we were both kidnapped.

Blah…

So I was in the back of the truck with a blanket over me and Kirara was with me. And the two guys were in the front, driving to devil knows where with loud music pounding along the road. I felt so helpless…

There were so many people near the truck. And by the sounds of it, the truck seemed as if it was right beside the sidewalks. Maybe I could escape…but the car was moving…

Gya…and I remembered policeman saying that acting hasty in a situation like this would be dangerous…man, I wish I could have actually listened to what else the policeman said in the Police Video…but I was typing up that stinking paper…

I looked down at my pants. Maybe a few cents inside my back pocket would be useful?

Wait…aha! My cell phone!!!

Trying not to act suspicious (I was supposed to be unconscious…) I took my cell phone out and held it to my face, doing everything with less movement as possible.

12:39 AM…hmm…it was like fifty after nine when we got to the vacation house. I guess maybe one of the people back at the rented place would notice that I've been gone for a few hours.

My stomach growled, though it was hardly audible over the pounding music. Oh yeah…Ayame hadn't even made dinner when I got kidnapped – I mean, _why was I thinking something like that in a crisis like this?!_

This was so stupid. I sighed. Okay, I had to keep myself under control. Grr…this was so ridiculous. The phone was too low on battery to make any calls, and I didn't usually carry around any spare batteries with me…sitting would be uncomfortable with batteries in the back pocket.

Let's see…umm…the vehicle was still moving, and everyone probably was back at the vacation house, minus Kirara and me of course. And I just had to do something. Oh god…I'm just repeating myself over and over again…

Then one of the guys said something that made me immediately pause.

"Oh man…we're nearly out of gas."

_Yes… _

"No dude. That means we're almost out of gas. It's just a warning."

_No… _

"It's on the E, though."

_Yes… _

"That means we still have like, 6 miles to go or whatever…"

_No… _

"C'mon, let's just get some gas. It's obviously empty."

_Yes… _

"I said no. We're going on. We shouldn't stop."

"No!" I yelled in dismay and then gasped, remembering that I was supposed to be 'asleep'.

"…what was that?"

_Doh… _

"It was probably our conscience." The guy urged.

God…whoever thought an idiot would save her day.

"C'mon…just a gas. What could happen while getting some gasoline for a car? We'll get a leak or something?"

The other guy finally gave in. "Oh all right…I guess it's better than stopping in the middle of the road. But if anything happens…"

"Please…what could _possibly _go wrong?"

I was practically dancing (mentally) when I felt the car slow down and pulled up. Perfect!!!

"I'll go get some chips."

"I'm coming with you."

"You're going to leave the car like that?"

"What do you think? Of course, I want some Guacamole chips, ya know."

A few minutes later I finally had the courage to pull the blanket off of my face. Finally…fresh air.

I looked around the gas station. This was so ridiculous. I mean, there were so many people putting gas in their car, and none of them noticed a kidnapped girl in the back of the truck when they saw one.

Shaking my head, I stood up and carefully climbed out of the truck.

"Mew…" Kirara poked its head out of the blanket.

"Stay there…I gotta find a decoy or something." I looked inside the back of the trunk and my eyes widened as a huge sweatdrop formed on the back of my head. My mouth was just hanging open.

I…even now I couldn't believe just how much porno magazines there were in the back of the van.

I whimpered and snapped around. "Oh lord…my poor, poor virgin eyes…"

"Mew…" Kirara mewed.

I blinked and gulped, remembering what I was supposed to do. I looked back (ignoring all those naked girls on the magazines -ew-) and reached over to one of the flat tires huddled in one of the corners of the truck.

Examining the blanket, I narrowed my eyes. Would anyone think something as round and bulging like that would actually be me under that blanket?

"Kirara?" I took a step back and looked down at the odd looking blanket with the tire underneath it. "Do you think I'm…that round and fat?"

"Mew…"

I glared at her. "Hey."

Oh goody…I was loosing it. Growling, I helped Kirara off the back of the truck and sighed.

Figuring I could probably buy a few batteries, I turned around heading towards the convenient store…

…only to trip onto the handle of the gas cord.

_"AaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaA-!" _

I screamed like hell was upon me as I fell flat on my face. I heard Kirara mewing like crazy…but for some reason, it sounded distant. I looked up and noticed that Kirara wasn't next to me anymore.

"Mew! Mew! Mew!"

…but what I also noticed was the handle of the gas tank still attached to the car while the gas cord was now wiggling around like crazy like a fish out of water, splashing black liquid all over me and the car (and including anything else that was 25 meters in its range).

_"Ah! Ah! It burns! Ah! Ow!"_ I cried in agony as I held my eyes in pain. _"My eyes!!! I'm melting!!!" _

I tried to cover my face from the black gasoline and tried to blend in with the other people in the small gas station (which wasn't hard, seeing they were all running for their gas covered lives) and jumped to the front of the truck.

Struggling to open the front door of the truck before the next tide of gas waves hit my way, I pulled the car key out of the ignition and dashed away as the gas cord snaked and hit the side of the gas tank with a resounding crack.

"Kirara, you idiot!" I growled as I ran to the white cat, trying to get the wet, frighteningly disgusting hair from my equally black face. "You run away before you warn me?!"

"…mew?"

I wiped my face with the dry part of my sleeve, and I pocketed the car key in the back of the jean pocket. "C'mon…my cell phone needs batter–" I looked down at the fizzing cell phone. And it was literally _fizzing_. "…uh-oh…"

Biting my bottom lip, I looked up at the glass door to the small shop and gasped. I jumped to the side and swooped up Kirara into my wet arms, dashing to the other side of the shop. Just as I turned the corner, two very familiar voices reached my ears as the doors dinged open.

"C'mon, we should have gotten Doritos instead."

"No way. Pringles are way better."

"Hey, I demand free right – whoa!"

"What the fu–"

…okay, so maybe it was fun watching the two guys get soaked from head to toe in gas, but I knew I was still in major trouble.

"C'mon Kirara…" I waved at the cat to follow me and snuck to the shop door as the two guys started to run the other way.

With a bang I shut the door closed, the bell on the glass door ringing like crazy.

"Whoa." The man behind the counter blinked at me, his voice dripping in heavy accent. "What going on?"

I tried to rub some gasoline off my shirt. "Umm…do you have any batteries?" I asked, holding up my more than obviously busted cell phone.

"…batteries?" The man blinked again but a few seconds later, he seemed to realize what I was talking about. "Oh…oh! Batteries!" He shuffled underneath the counter as Kirara jumped up on the surface of it, mewing and licking its clean paw.

The brown haired man straightened up and blinked at the cat on his counter, while holding a tray full of different batteries.

"…cat?"

I sighed and impatiently shook my head. I didn't have time for this! "Umm…can – I – have – a – few – batteries?!" I asked loud and slowly as if talking to a small stupid, idiotic toddler.

"Which? Pick…" He pointed down while patting Kirara he seemed to be fond of. "Double A batteries…or triple A batteries?"

"…err." I looked down at my cell phone. Heck…why was I even bothering…this electronic was obviously damaged for good… "On the other hand…do you have a phone?"

"Phone? Oh! Why did you say so?! Phone!" He nodded happily and bent down, and a moment later stood up straight again with his own cell phone. "Here."

"Thank you!" I exasperatedly said in relief and hastily took the phone while leaning back and making sure my two abductors wouldn't be coming back anytime soon. "Umm…what was the number…Sango…"

I somehow managed to dial the phone number and impatiently bopped on both of my feet as the phone ringed.

Then…

"Hello?" It was a worried voice that was slightly panting.

I couldn't help it. "Sango? Sango is that…wait, you're out of breath." I grinned. "Did I-…_interrupt_ something?"

"Kagome! You idiot, where are you?!" She yelled, making me hold the phone back a feet away from my head. "It's been almost three hours since you went out to get Kirara! _WHERE'S KIRARA!?_"

"Sango shut up! I'm at the gas station!" I hissed back, ignoring the odd stare from the guy behind the counter.

"…what are you doing there?!"

"I've been kidnapped! All right?! KIDNAPPED!"

"…"

I waited for her answer. "…"

"…are you kidding me?"

"Sango- I'm serious!!!"

"Well then how are you on the phone?!" She demanded.

This was getting so ridiculous. "…I accidentally spilled gasoline."

"What?"

"Would you just call 911? I think the guy who kidnapped me are part of Inuyasha's old gang. Something about a flight back to Tokyo…"

"Oh…I feel so stupid. All right, where are you?"

"I told you, the gas sta–"

"_Which_ gas station?!"

"…umm, hold on." I looked up from the cell phone and started to ask the confused guy in front of me.

"You kidnapped?" He cut me off before I started.

I nodded annoyed. "Can you tell me which gas station this is?"

He blinked. "This gas station."

I frowned. "I know…but _which_ gas station is this?"

"…this gas station." He pointed down and blinked again.

"…I _know_, but what's the _name_ of this gas station?"

"Aw-!" He exclaimed. "Name? Oh, my name right here!" He pointed down at his small nametag on his chest. I narrowed my eyes and stared at him dumbfoundedly.

"…Sango?" I talked back in the little phone.

"Yeah?"

"I'll just call the police myself."

"…wait, Kagome?"

But I hang up before I even realized she had just tried to call my name.

"Umm…excuse me?" I stared dully at the guy behind the counter.

"Yes?"

"…how long have you been practicing your Engli– _Ah!!!_"

Before I even had time to recognize the bang and the crack ignited in the night air, a sharp pain traveled down the tips of my fingertips, the ones I was holding the guy's cell phone with.

"Yow!" I screeched and threw the busted cell phone in the air, landing somewhere to the chips stand and I held my slightly singed fingers.

"How the hell did you get out of the anesthetic?!" One of the two guys with the pistol yelled, obviously frustrated (wouldn't you if you were soaked in oil?).

I blinked and looked back at Kirara on the floor. I bit my bottom lip and looked back at the two red men with their weapons. "Err…do I…know you guys from anywhere?"

"Fuck, what the hell do you think you are?" The second guy growled, causing me to twitch.

"I'm…I'm not Kagome!"

…okay, that was stupid.

"These two your friends?" The guy with the tiny nametag asked me.

I slowly turned my head back at him and cleared my throat. "No…they just want to rob your store, what else?" I asked innocently.

"Oh…they not your friends then?" He nodded and bent down.

I screamed when he jumped back up from behind the counter.

Wouldn't you have screamed if a guy jumped right on a counter with a long three feet shotgun in his hands and started shooting at everything and anything with a frighteningly friendly smile on his face?

Ducking for cover from this insane maniac, I jumped behind a huge rack of brownies after brownies.

_Bad-_ idea.

"Ow! Ow! _Ow!!!_" I yelled every time the refrigerated soda cans set in front of me exploded as bullets flew from here and their like pelicans. I tell you, getting showered in cold soda over twelve times in a row _isn't_ fun.

I looked up as an eluding smell caught my nose and I just had to turn my head.

"…oh! Strawberry pie!"

Well…I needed a midnight snack.

But before I even had my hands in the crusts, the oh so juicy pie started ringing.

Yes people – the pie rang. And I mean rang, because it was shaking like crazy (or doing the boogie).

I blinked. "What the –?!" I stuck my hand right into the smooth middle of the strawberry and took out the incredibly sticky cell phone that had been shot out of my hand.

I stared at it for a few seconds as it rang and stupidly answered the phone. "…hello?" Wow…it was weird when the phone smelled exactly like a strawberry.

"Kagome! Oh thank god this thing has call back memory…Kagome, what's going on? I can hardly hear you!"

"Sango, I'm busy right now – can you call back later?"

"…are you eating something?" She asked, hinting something about my muffled voice.

I gulped down the pie in my mouth. Oh so sweet… "No, I'm not eating anything!"

"Hey – _buzz_ – hey – _buzz_ – we're – _buzz_ – breaking – _buzz_ – up – _buzz_ – !"

"…we are?" I asked.

_"Duck little lady!"_ The dude with the long shotgun ran passed me as he chased after the two kidnappers.

I yelped and covered myself with an industrial sized chips pack as the glass covering all the frozen sodas shattered before me. Heck, all the breakable things in the shop were probably on the ground in pieces by now – like the windows for example.

"Mew-!"

"Kirara! This isn't the time for mewing!" I looked back down at the feline for a quick glance and paused. "…hey, where'd you get the lemon square?"

"…mew!"

"Ahh!" I screamed and covered my head as a few more glass shattered behind the brownie rack. "That's it! No more exploding food!"

Just then…

_"Food explosion?! Ahh!!!"_ The brown headed man yelled in his accented voice as he dashed passed her, screaming like a girl as he ran away from the two intruders in his store.

"…Kami help us all." I muttered and shook my head. "Hope is lost…" Quickly yet cautiously I stood up on the slippery floor and instinctively scooped Kirara up. And ran like there was no tomorrow.

As I jumped out the shattered window, I couldn't help but turn around and yell, "See ya suckers!"

…

And then I got sprayed by the rogue gasoline.

Well…I guess I deserved that.

"Run for your life children!" An old woman ran by completely covered in oil. "It's alive!!!"

I watched the woman dash away into the night with the rest of the people abandoning their vehicles and disappearing into the madness.

I yelped and ducked as a few more shots rang behind me and I started to run towards the nearest car. Only, it would have been easier if the ground wasn't so slippery with the gas.

"Oh craaaaaa-" I winced as I fell hard on my poor rear and slid all the way to the sidewalk. There was an awfully large group of people gathering around the scene of the crime.

Then I heard something familiar…

…something frighteningly familiar.

"What in the…" I looked up and gaped (bad thing since I was practically dripping in gasoline). A motorcycle…

A _black _motorcycle…

_Inuyasha's_ motorcycle…

"Yo!" The familiar dude called as he parked near the curb of the gas station. A few girls stared at the guy still wearing the black helmet curiously. Now just why did he have to wear his motorcycle leather jacket?

God, this must have been the most annoying moment in the world. Especially when one of the few girls (probably me being the only one) that hated him was leaking in something other than water.

"Oh goody…" I grumbled and struggled to stand up on the ice like ground. Inuyasha stood there beside his motorcycle with his helmet still on. Hmm…smart for him to stay there.

I ignored the stares given by the awed onlookers (mostly teenagers) as I tried to blend in with the twenty percent of the people who were, like me, unusually wet.

Hugging Kirara, I stopped in front of Inuyasha and glared at him.

"So…Sango sent me a nanny?"

I noticed his lip twitch. "…" A few more moments later. "…all right…just what the fuck happened to you?"

"…thanks…honestly…that's so kind of –"

"I mean, you're covered in oil…and is that strawberry sauce on your mouth?"

I growled. "Okay, would you just…wait, how'd you find me?"

His mouth that had been tightly shut cracked into a smile. "This gas station is the one I always come to when I have to fill up my bike here." He patted his 'beloved' vehicle.

"Wait…are you saying all those hours I've been in the back of the truck, they've been just circling around the place…?"

Inuyasha snickered. "I guess; the airport _is_ just two miles away…duh."

Just then, a loud whooshing noise caught my ears and I looked up. A large airplane flew over our heads high above in the night sky. Kirara mewed at that precise moment.

"Shut up." I snapped at the cat as I heard a few sirens in the midst of all the confusion. "And you!" But Inuyasha was laughing like crazy now.

It was a deep laugh. From his chest I guess…and even now I wondered – wait a minute. Oh gee, what the heck am I talking about?!

"Hey! Shut up already, will ya?! I've been just kidnapped!"

"Oh yeah, how traumatic…ha!" Inuyasha said through his laughter.

My eyes twitched as I let Kirara on the back of the bike. Oh this was _on_.

"Hey!" Inuyasha yelled after realizing that I was trying to pull off his head. "What the hell? Get off of me!"

"What? Why?! Didn't you _like _having me on you?!" I pulled off his helmet and threw it to the street as I jumped back (leaving a trail of oil behind me).

Then I yelled as loudly as I could.

_"_ _LOOK__ EVERYONE! IT'S INUYASHA!!! THE _ _HOT_ _HOT__ DAREDEVIL INUYASHA BABY!!!" _

"You fucking idiot!" Inuyasha desperately looked around and winced at the girls staring at him. "What did you – hey! Get back – crud!"

Laughing like a madwoman, I ran away with my hands waving in the air and enjoyed the sound of girls screaming and footsteps thudding on the pavement. "Nice day for a chase scene, eh?!"

"Wench!" I turned to the road to see Inuyasha on his motorcycle and catching up to my mad dash. I was sort of too busy staring at the massive amount of girls chasing him.

He quickly grabbed my wrist and hurriedly pulled me onto his waist, my abdomen uncomfortably jammed on his knee. "Hey! Ow! That's dangerous!"

"I liked that helmet!" He growled as he quickly accelerated the speed, earning my scream of rage and a mew from Kirara behind him.

"Pervert! Pervert on motor – ow!" I yelled when he nudged his knee deeper into my gut.

"Oh freaking…" He growled as we drove passed a few police cars. "Now I got gasoline all over my leather pants…"

"…oh just shut up." I groaned. "I don't feel so good…"

"Maybe you drank some of that oil?"

"I said shut up." I snapped. "You jerk. But you now know that Naraku's gang actually knows us."

"What?!" He yelled. "Can't hear you!"

"I said we can't split up now! Naraku's gang knows we're in a group – if we split up, it'll be easier for them to get one of us!"

He didn't respond. Heck, he didn't respond for at least a few minutes.

But it wasn't exactly important when he did respond…

"One thing." Inuyasha said as he slowed down, seeing that he had lost the girls from his trail.

"Hmm?"

"Do you really think I'm hot?"

_"SHUT – UP!!!" _

**AN:** Next chapter…actually, I got no idea. Darn…


	15. Let It Snow, Let It Sprinkle, Let It…

"You guys are so mean-!!!"

Sango wiped the laughing tears out of her one open eye. "I'm sorry Kagome…but, well…kidnapped?" Sango lightly snorted, and promptly went back to snickering nonstop…yet again.

I puffed out my cheek like an angry preschooler. "You guys are so inconsiderable…bah."

"Stop acting so naïve…" Miroku patted my head, chuckling lightly. "Wouldn't want my own dear little sister to blow her head off for something this…ridiculous, I suppose?"

"It is _so _not ridiculous!" Whapping his hand away from my soaking hair, I yelled at him like the siblings we were…thank lord that oil didn't have enough time to get through my scalp. "And stop making me sound like I'm some toddler!"

"Well you got that temper tantrum thing going for you." Ayame sighed as she joined the rest of us in the kitchen, holding a tray of freshly cut oranges accompanied by exactly six cups of orange juice. Mm…

I stuck my tongue out at no one in particular and grabbed one of the oranges without another thought.

"It _is _a weird story though…" Kouga joined me in taking one of the cut oranges. He tried to ignore my glare. "Hmm…is this Hawaiian made orange? It's pretty tasty…"

But just as Ayame opened her mouth to answer, Inuyasha waved his hand and shushed us.

"Oi…would ya quiet down? I'm trying to listen here…" He pointed the remote control at the miniature television set, settled on the wooden counter, and increased the volume.

_"– and seems as if there are no visible injuries at this time. Apparently, the shop owner is being charged for having illegal usage of his…shotgun? Oh yes, shotgun…explaining the odd damage left on the walls of the shop. The girl that is thought as the third member of the criminal gang that professionally attacked the gas station is still being searched as of right now. The civilians that has been soaked from head to toe in oil, thanks to her deeds, is having hard time identifying the face of the third attacker, but the best officers could gather was that she, apparently, had black hair and a cat…" _

"What – hey! They're talking about me!!!" I hissed in hysterical anger.

"Shushhhhhhhhhhhhh-!" Everyone else in the room shushed at me…humph! Fine, I'll go back drowning my annoyance in oranges then.

_"It seems like the only other information they could find was a truck full of Playboy Magazines, and the fact that everyone else found near the gas station has their hair soaked in black chlorine of the oil…it all comes down to the other two in this anonymous gang. There isn't much to go on, but the two suspects caught in their act have been taken to the police station and is being questioned. This is Tanya Friend live on the scene – back to you Mary." _

Inuyasha promptly switched the news off and snorted. "Seems like news reporters these days are getting rusty on gathering info…"

"Professionally attacked…attacked my ass…please…unbelievable…" I continued grumbling. "They think _I _was one of the attackers? My god, are they so wrong…"

"Calm down Kagome." Sango shook her head and sipped her orange juice. "They don't know _you_ were even there. I mean; you heard them. They can't tell who's who thanks to that oil soaking in the witnesses' hair…I'm sure you'll be fine."

Kouga gave her an odd look. "You're the only one acting cheery because you got Kirara back."

Sango grinned. "Oh…does it show?" She gently cooed at the cat at her feet, drinking a plate of fresh milk with some treats beside the drink. I really wouldn't have been surprised if she bathed with her kitty-baby…but then again, she was a clean queen nut case…

"You guys aren't sticking to the point!" I waved my hand in the air. "What are we going to do? Are we going to stay here? Are we even _safe_ here?!"

"I checked the whole place." Kouga shrugged, slurping from his drink by the straw. "No bugs. We should be safe now."

Ayame frowned. "But the two guys kidnapped Kagome just by the beach. Doesn't it mean they know we're here?"

There was a momentary silence after this.

Miroku looked at me with a quizzical look. "Hey Kagome…"

"Hmm?"

"…I've been thinking." He scratched the back of his head. "I've sort of missed the slopes back at Blue Thunder…"

I blinked. "Blue Thunder…Blue Thunder Ski Resort?" I blinked again, utterly confused to what he was saying as to everyone else left staring at us.

He shrugged. "The one and only."

"But…what are you…Blue Thunder Ski Resort's in _Canada_…why did you even bring that up…did you hit your head or some…" I gaped. "Oh no…no, no, no, no…"

Miroku grinned. "Oh ho, ho…but it's the only choice we got right –"

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes and stared at us in a weird fashion. "What are you two talking about?"

I stood up.

"There is absolutely _no _way that we're going back to Canada with…with…" I spread my arm, showing who I was including in the room to my explanation. "Them!"

Inuyasha, Kouga, Sango, and Ayame frowned and exclaimed in unison, "What the heck are you talking about?!"

**Get A Life!**

_Let It Snow, Let It Sprinkle, Let It Screech_

By: Double S

_"Whack em hard, whack em good! It's the guard, it sets the mood! Die fly die! La la larrrrrrrrrgh – bzzzzz…" _

"Ayame!"

"What?! I said I was going to throw my headphone down if I heard another 'how-to-kill-a-bug' commercial…" She looked away and avoided our eyes. It was hard to miss her anxious mood.

Sango sighed and switched the radio off, immediately cutting off the commercial when it was in the middle of a soap-song. "Listen, I know this is your first time riding in a airplane, but there's no need for you to worry –"

"Oh, I'm not worried. I'm not worried, since I've seen a lot of movies where someone gets killed because of a horrible explosion while riding over Atlantic Ocean and a thin sheet of metal is the only thing that separates them from a comfortable ride to a watery doom." She said all this in a hasty tongue.

I scratched my head and looked around the empty seats. Thank lord no one else was here to hear all this. They would have surely called the flight attendant and told them that an insane maniac was onboard.

"Chill Ayame. Those are only movies. Beside, we're not even flying over water."

This didn't comfort her. "Yeah, a bloody death on land with our remains scattering over the soil with our flesh burning in flames…"

I cringed. "You're going to far Ayame. Very wrong…"

"Indeed." Sango rolled her eyes. "I understand this is your first time in an airplane, but try not to take advantage of the quiet atmosphere. Really, I didn't buy us first-class seats just so you can plunge us in a vortex of misery. What about Kirara? She's stuck in that pet carrier in the back cargo! What about her?"

"Err Sango, you're –" I was cut off by the uncaring Ayame.

"Hey, I'm not taking advantage of anyone. I didn't expect us three would be the only ones in first class."

"You mean us _six_." I grunted.

"Whatever." Ayame sighed. "Say, where are the guys anyway?"

"Right here." Miroku came back to us in the middle row. "You should really try the bathroom. I mean, the Japanese flowers are right on the spot. Smells just like spring in there."

"Good idea." Ayame practically jumped off from her seat and swiftly walked away to the bathroom.

"It's a unisex!" Miroku called after her.

"I didn't know there were unisex stalls in first class." I pondered as I switched back the radio on, now that Ayame was gone.

"It's more like a unisex room than a stall. Quite extraordinary…" Miroku said this as he sat on the seat where Ayame had been. Sango tried to ignore him and put her headset back on. But the silence that followed was extremely unnerving.

I suddenly stood up. "I'm going to walk around a bit." I said and dropped my headphone on the seat. Nothing like a quick breath of willow-tree scented oxygen before arriving on the snowy region of North America.

"What's up with you?" Inuyasha looked up after I walked up a few rows of deserted seats. "You look real pale."

"Hearty ha-ha." I said with an indifferent look and waved him off. I sat behind his widow seat. "Where's Kouga?"

"Said something about getting the soda stain off his shirt in the bathroom."

"Oh…" Ayame was going to get an unpleasant surprise. I looked up at the small movie screen. It was premiering the entire collection of Jaws – starting right from the beginning.

And to think I had been expecting a James Bond movie.

"Hey."

"Hmm?"

"You never answered that question."

I raised my eyebrow, although my sight was still directed out the small circular window. "You mean after the oil incident?"

"Yeah. About the 'cute-thing'." I could just _hear_ his smirk.

I half sighed/growled. "I don't feel like joking around right now."

"Why? Little Kitty homesick now?"

"Inuyasha, don't make me use this soda on you." A total bluff; and he knew it.

"Yeah right." He settled back down. "But really. What are you so nervous about? Aren't you glad you're going back to Toronto?"

"Of course! I mean, don't get me wrong or anything…but I just don't feel good about this whole thing."

"And you think I do?" He sounded strangely resentful now. "I didn't mean for you – for all of you to get sucked into this thing."

"It's alright…kind of exciting if you ask me." I paused (trying not to show that this had been a bluff too). "But one thing I don't understand…"

"What?"

"It's just – why now? Why is Naraku attacking us now?"

Inuyasha turned around and looked at me strangely, taking his earphone off. "What do you mean? It's obviously got something to do with Kikyou and her running back to him."

"…but Sango said she was a daddy's girl. Doesn't sound like she would go anywhere near that Naraku dude…"  
Inuyasha shrugged. "Fine – then what if Kikyou's back to her home-sweet-home? It's still the same with Naraku trying to scare us all into our shells." He then promptly turned his back on me and continued watching Jaws.

I didn't believe him. I didn't believe that he was telling the truth. I didn't believe he was telling us, even Sango, the whole details of this matter. Was Naraku as insane and freakish as Inuyasha made him sound like? Or was there something that was making Inuyasha feel extremely guilty…?

…and now I'm wondering about a guy I hated the guts of.

I really needed a life.

-

"I think your flower's drooping."

"Shut up." Ayame, the Hawaii-bound-girl, shivered. "Just can it." She did run her gloved hand over her head to touch her frozen flower, though.

Kouga cracked his knuckles, attracting a few passing girls' eyes, and smirked. "Whatever."

"I forgot Ayame never left Hawaii." Sango whispered in my ears. "This is going to get a bit complicated."

I 'mm-ed' in mild concern and looked around for the shuttle bus. "Where's the bulletin with the schedules?"

"The next bus's…coming right about now." Miroku looked at his watch and the bulletin. And as if on cue, a loud honk emitted from the glass doors.

"How cozy…"

The shuttle bus was darkened with a few dim lights, and warmed by the air vents near the last row of seats. Ayame quickly led us towards the back.

"I thought all of this cliché stuff about Canada being so cold was a myth…but this is ridiculous." She shivered.

"You'll get used to it. I was the same as you when I first left Japan." I explained and offered her a spare jacket. She grabbed it like a piranha.

"Hey, where are we stopping at?"

For a moment I just stared at Sango, and then realized Miroku was the one who had planned this. "Hey, bro! Where are we staying at anyway?"

He yawned. "The Blue Thunder Ski Resort. I already made reservations for the Presidential Suite."

"What?!" I hissed, not wanting to shout in such a serene surrounding. "Do you know just how much it costs to make reservations in that place?! It's like one of the most luxurious places to stay at in North America!!!"

"Oh don't get your underwear in a knot." He waved and began to close his eyes. "It's coming out of your paycheck, by the way."

"What?!" I repeated.

-

It was cold when we first got to the airport – but it got even colder when we got off the shuttle bus, three hours later.

I blew into my hand. I could see the air turning into water vapor, and a sudden rush of air brushed past my probably frosted hair. Yup, home-away-from-home. Now where were the penguins…?

"– and here's your room card." The quiet woman handed the said item to me and I smiled, showing my appreciation since my lips were too frozen to open. She nodded and went back to her computer.

The whole place was grand. Silver linings on light amber marble, and stairs lined in shining carpet. The lamps were dimmed and the chandeliers were sparkling to the fullest, so everyone who came in from the snow would have to squint and immediately take their jacket off. An incredible place for wealthy customers.

But it was odd.

The woman behind the desk seemed Japanese in every way (which made her stand up in the majestic building) – except for the bright red eyes that seemed to drown out her pupils. Her hair was held in place with a few white feathers, and she wore an Asian-styled earrings with the pearls ending with a delicate string. Her lips were fashionably red, and her skin was beautiful white – like a geisha's. I wouldn't be surprised if she had been one. Sharp nose, sharp eyes, sharp look…lots of sharp features.

"Oi, you coming or not?" Inuyasha grabbed my shoulder. "You look as if you just saw a…" What he was about to say died in his lips. He stared at the model-like figure in front of us.

The woman looked up after a few more minutes of intense silence. "May I be of assistance?" There was a hint of weak annoyance.

"Guys, everyone else are already waiting in the elevator…guys?" Ayame came over and stared at Inuyasha, who, mind you, still had his hand on my shoulder. "Hey, hey!"

"Seems as if your friends are hypnotized." The woman gave her a humorless smile and went back to her computer.

Ayame shrugged and promptly pulled a hair off of both of our stunned scalps.

"Ow!" Inuyasha and I cried in unison.

The Hawaiian-gal raised her kabuki-styled eyebrow. "Well, you both deserved that for staring." She glanced back at the high-classed receptionist with a…an envious glance?…and went back to the hotels. Maybe it was the fact that that tall woman had the job Ayame formerly had. Or maybe because the woman was just plainly ignoring us with a high-and-mighty attitude…

"What was it with you guys?" She asked while we rushed over towards the elevator.

"She just looked…weird. Familiar." Inuyasha mumbled.

"Ha." I nudged him. "To you all girls look familiar, eh doggy-boy?"

But he had a point. She just seemed peculiar…like I heard of her before.

"Where were you guys?" Sango pressed the 28 button and let the door close behind us.

I shrugged. "Just looking around. Familiar surrounding – you know."

"Right."

The hallway was shiny; and the presidential room was even better. Sure I've been there before, but I never bothered to stay in the Presidential Suite.

"Whoa…" Ayame gasped as we walked in.

The incredibly large room made us pause as we walked in. The room could've come straight out of an expensive magazine. Everything was perfect; the antique furnitures, paintings, and ornaments placed exactly so. There wasn't a speck of dust seen and even the sunlight streaming through the extremely wide window, almost seemingly artificial, made everything bring out the best from it. It was hardly believable that this gigantic room was nestled on top of a small resort.

"Golden linings…marble…oak…hmm…" Miroku looked around with a technical look. "Mm…Georgian. But decorated differently…good taste…"

Sango looked at him oddly and dropped her heavy bags (remembering to put her pet carrier down carefully). "Umm…you know about architectures?"

Miroku blinked at her stare, and looked away as if…embarrassed? "I was bored…Discovery Channel…"

"…right." She repeated.

"I'm sure you're impressed." Kouga teasingly pushed Ayame to the side as he looked into the dining room.

"Yeah right. I've cleaned better room than this." She stuck her nose slightly in the air. Either she was telling the truth, or she needed an academy award for acting so good, I would never know.

"Pretty nice view too." Inuyasha looked out through the frosted window, the rising sun cascading its light down his shining hair. "…nice slopes."

"Skiing?" I groaned. "We just got from the airport."

"Ha. You're just scared of those goons you got 'kidnapped' by." He fluttered his hands by his sides like wings…which was pretty hilarious, I admit. "Why don't ya just join the Witness Protection Program? Eh?"

"You –"

"And we'd rather go snowboarding, actually." Miroku broke in before any more cat vs. dog fights started. "C'mon Kagome…let's just have fun while we're back in Canada."

I huffed. "Of all the places…we could've actually gone to Vancouver, but no…we had to come to a ski resort." I brushed my hair from my forehead and stalked off to somber.

-

"Wow…this is so weird…" Ayame said as she stood up in her ski boots.

Sango panicked. "Err, Ayame, you might not want to do– oh god, are you alright?!"

I looked down at the paper flat Ayame who had fallen forward on her face. "You awake?"

"…mph…" She mumbled and peeled herself off of the hard cement floor. "My face."

She was right. It was like a tomato. "Gee…nice clown-nose."

"Oh shut up. Glad the guys aren't here to see this, though. They're already in the slopes right?"

Sango helped me pick Ayame up onto the cold wooden bench. "Yeah. Obviously, they got their own snowboards."

"I'm sure they're having a lot of fun right now." I mumbled and struggled with my ski poles. "Now come on. Let's get out of the crowded rental house." True to my words, there were a lot of families pushing past us. It was getting extremely stuffy.

The cold crisp air stung my eyes and our throats like icicles, but after putting our mittens and scarves on, everything seemed refreshing.

"Where to?" Sango asked. "I'm sure the guys are in level five slopes…"

"What's that?" Ayame asked.

"Level five slopes are for professionals. The levels ranges from one to six – six being the hardest and one being the bunny slopes. Right now, the level six slopes are closed off for grooming."

"I think I gotcha…"

"Let's just go to the bunny slopes." I cried, already a few meters away. "I have to brush up on my skiing skills anyway."

It was hilarious, watching Ayame trying to catch up, I mean. She was trying to push and pull on her ski poles at the same time, and since this was her first time, she was nearly falling every time she slightly moved forward.

"Aren't we rushing it a bit?" She called when we finally got to the bunny slope.

"You're just slow." Sango dully replied.

"No, I mean skiing. Didn't we come here just to get away from Naraku?"

"I'm sure the boys wouldn't have stayed inside the resort if we told them to. Would you?" I looked back.

Her dismayed face answered the question.

Of course. She was a girl with dignity and pride. She wouldn't have liked to show her worst side in front of anyone she knew. Kind of explained why she was so embarrassed in front of Kouga all the time. The dignified ex-receptionist vs. the egoistical stuntman-wolf. Hmm…makes a whole lot of since.

"Ai ya!!!!"

I got out of my stupor and watched as Ayame was dragged to the top of the bunny hill. Ayame hadn't understood just how the revolving ropes pulled you up the nearly horizontal slope when you grabbed on, and this had caused her to half fall while being forced to slide up towards the top. It was funny, though her arm was twisted in a very disturbing manner.

"Oh my god." Sango and I followed her up the hill, where Ayame was struggling to get up. "Are you okay?"

"Just…peachy."

After a few bruises (and not to mention screams of horror from Ayame as she slid down the snow in a giant snowball) we finally concluded that we were ready for the next slope.

"If we could just find the line for the ski lift." Sango groaned.

"Umm…I think that's it."

It was odd really. I mean, how could three pairs of eyes miss the sign 'Slope Closed – Back up in Three Minutes Break'. But our eyes did, and none of us bothered to scrape off the ice that had covered the sign with the name of the slope on it.

"No one's near the ski lift to help us on…"

"Thanks for pointing out the obvious." Ayame glared at Sango.

"Someone needs a nappy-nap."

I turned around and saw Kouga snowboard skillfully towards us. He remembered to stop right in front of Ayame and spray her with snow.

"Hey Kagome."

I grunted. "Err…Hi." Ayame's green eyes sure did look scary then.

"You guys aren't thinking of going on the Sharp Shark Slope, are you?" He raised his eyebrow. "It _is _level five."

Before Sango or I could respond, before either of us could say, 'Oh, we meant to go to level 2.' Ayame, to our horrifying shock, said the completely opposite thing.

"Actually, we meant to go to level six…but since it's actually closed."

I gawked. Sango…well she just about nearly fell in shock right there.

Kouga just kept on raising his eyebrow, though I swore he had a hint of interest in his eyes. "…oh really?" He said trying to sound mildly amused. He hopelessly failed.

-

"…I'm going to kill you. Okay?"

"Oh shush and just play along."

"But you don't even know a thing about –"

"I said shush."

"But –"

"Anything wrong, ladies?" Kouga snuck up from behind me and Ayame. Our little conversation must have seemed suspicious.

"Oh no, no, no, no." The green eyed idiot gave a false smile. Her idiocy was going to kill us all someday.

He looked at her oddly and shrugged.

Sango pulled my arm. "C'mon, let's sneak away before we're dragged into this."

"No, you're coming along." Ayame pushed past us.

"Doh."

Sango narrowed her eyes. "Then you're riding on the seats with Kouga."

"What?! No –"

"The ski lifts are two seats. I'm going with Kagome." She puffed her cheeks. "Think of this as karma. What goes around –"

"Goes around, and around." Ayame waved her off. "Yeah, whatever."

Kouga was getting extremely wary. "What are you –?"

"Alright, move along ya dork." Ayame pushed Kouga, forcing his large metal board under his feet to guide him towards the eerily moving ski lift. Sango and I watched from behind.

Ayame, who had never actually gone on a ski lift, looked oddly calm. But she didn't understand that the ski chairs didn't stop for anyone. And if you dropped out…too bad for you.

And since I was lined up from behind, I could see everything with crystal clarity;

Ayame: Move!

Kouga: Stop it! You're going to make me fall!!!

Ayame: Then move!

Kouga: Whoa!

(Ayame nearly falls and trips when the chair nudges her from the back, forcing her to fall on Kouga's already seated lap. Sango and I get on the seat behind them as we continue to watch the hysterical scene.)

Kouga: Get off!

Ayame: Ow, my hair! Ow, ow, ow, _OW!!!_

Kouga: I said get – watch it, you're going to fall off the seat!

Ayame: Oh crud…eek!

(Ayame, to our horror, falls off the ski lift as her ski poles fall to the snowy slope that's already about 50 feet below us. Kouga quickly drops his ski poles to their doom like Ayame's poles and catches her, nearly falling off the seat himself. Ayame hangs on, her skis dangling below her.)

Kouga: Hold on! Don't you dare fall!

Ayame: Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god…I'm going to die. And in your hands too!!!

Sango: Oh freaking…Ayame, hold on! Don't you dare die on me!

Kouga: Everyone just shut up! I can't…hold on…

Sango: …

Ayame: …

Kouga: …

Ayame: …I don't trust you.

Kouga: Ah! Hey – oh crud, don't look behind you!

(Doing the exact opposite, she looks behind her and realizes that they're close to where the slope rises so the skiers could drop off from their seats. Unfortunately, she and Kouga were in a very bad position for this. Sango gasps. I cringe.)

-Going back to normal mode-

_"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" _

"Oh my god!" Sango screamed (which caused an even more problem, but I'm get a little ahead of myself.)

Kouga, at the last desperate second (after they're combined screams of dismay) swung Ayame upwards to himself.

Now, these sort of seats actually rotated up when they went back down the mountain, and they gave a little push to force the skiers down the slope if and when they were daydreaming during the smooth ride. And since Ayame didn't know this, she panicked.

She immediately grabbed Kouga's hair and fell off his lap, dragging Kouga to sprawl on the snow, Kouga on top of the half unconscious Ayame.

…and the worst was just starting.

Since Sango and I chose to ride right behind the two ski pole-less skiers, they were still on the ground (quite cutely, actually) and we couldn't give them any time to roll away from our oncoming approach.

During the whole time, Sango had been shocked out of her wits and hadn't seen that we were nearing the drop off. This caused just a minor problem.

"Sango, Sango, we gotta get off…Sango? Sango, Sango what are – oh my god Sango!"

As the ski chairs flipped upwards, midway through the flipping scenario Sango finally realized what was happening. "Whoa!"

**_"Sango-!!!" _**

I clung onto Sango as both of us slid out of the now upside down ski chair…and fell right on top of the two already groaning skiers on the ground.

There was a crash of screams and skis hitting particular groin regions as all four of us tumbled down the lane. We must have tumbled for a few minutes before stopping right near the edge of a slope.

There was a momentary silence before Ayame decided to speak up.

"Kouga…get your _face_ out of my **chest**."

…I really would've laughed, but I was in extreme pain right then.

I heard a grunt, and then a gawk and I was quickly thrown off with Sango beside me. Kouga fell to the side with his tongue sticking out in disgust. "Oh god…oh fucking…that's just freaking wrong."

Ayame dazedly sat up, her legs spread apart since her ski was uncomfortably forcing her legs to twist in an awkward turn. "You're speaking my language…brother…" She held up her hand in a fist and started to shiver uncontrollably.

Sango blinked and furiously shook her head. "A-Ayame? Are you…uh-oh…"

I spotted the ripped part of her heavy duty snow pants. The huge gash stretched from Ayame's side of the hips all the way to her ankle, and she was shaking deliriously now.

Kouga frowned. "Ayame? Ayame are you –"

"Sunshine – I got sunshine."

"…O.O;" I couldn't help it. I watched her with wide eyes.

"I got sunshine, on a cloudy day…you're my sunshine baby-" She sang her heart out. But what we all didn't realize was that she was at the edge of the _closed for **grooming**_ _slope_…and I was even closer to the next slope beside that.

"Oi…Ayame?" Kouga reached out for her, but backed away at the same time.

"I think she's going through hypothermia…" Sango suggested.

"Err…guys." I looked around. "Was it just me or did it just get colder." I tried to stand up, reaching for my poles slightly to my right.

Kouga grunted. "Yeah…it's colder…and Ayame's starting to shiver worse."

"Well, why don't we just callaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"

"Kagome!" Kouga and Sango called in unison as I started to fall down the slope…**_backwards_**.

I felt the wind rush past me from behind my back, and my scarf flew away as my head began to swirl. Okay…so I was falling backwards on a deserted ski slope with my skis starting to twist my ankle…badly. So I did the only think I could think of.

I flipped. And I mean literally.

I twisted my body around and soon my whole body was in the air, swirling fast as if like a professional gymnast. But like Newton's Law, everything that goes up must come down…and the heavier you are, the harder you fall…especially when you're still going down the slope.

A loud thud echoed through the trees around me, and my face met a mouthful of snow. Hard, crunching, icy snow.

"Mph…frank…frock."

"…what?"

I twisted my body around, sat up, and looked up at the confused face of the dog-boy. "…ow…"

"You alright?" He looked down at me. If he laughed, I was going to spit the snow in my mouth at his grubby little face.

"Yeah…fine. Perfectly fine."

"You don't look –"

"I said I was just fine." I snapped at him and coughed out a few snow. "Grr…can't see."

"That's because your sunglasses are covered in snow and…man you look like crud."

After a slap on the forehead, and throwing a few snowballs at each other, I finally got around to gathering all my fallen ski items.

"What are you doing on the level 5 slope anyway? Miroku said you weren't exactly an outdoor person."

"I'll talk about it later." I grunted. "Where is Miroku anyway?"

"With Sango, I think. Something about looking for her…"

"…whatever." I sighed. "She's up the slope, if you were wondering."

"What were you girls thinking?" He shook his head, reminding me of a disapproving mother.

"Just…be quiet, okay? I'm getting a migraine…" And then I remembered. "…Ayame!"

"Hmm?

"Ayame! She was going through deliriousimist…however you call it! She was going nuts!"

He frowned. "What? How –"

"No time to explain…she has to be here somewhere…how else can they come down."

"Well, there's the level six slope, but it's closed, and –"

"Doesn't matter – she was delirious, remember? She might have fallen down like I did!"

"You what?"

"C'mon, just help me get to the end of the level six slope."

Confused, Inuyasha helped me up and got me towards the level six slope without another word. After a while, my ankle began to feel extremely sore.

"Ow…"

He looked back, still moving. "You okay?"

"No talking and more moving." I avoided his eyes.

"This is it." He sighed after a few more minutes. "Nothing much to look at…"

He was true. There were dozens of tree, and very little snow on the ground. The trees lined up were thick, and the end of the slope was so narrow that there could only be two skiers going through it at the same time in turtle speed. No one was there, and a sign 'Closed' was hanging on the tree next to the small opening.

"I'm sure no one would –" He suddenly stopped. I suddenly gawked.

Miroku and Sango were there, near the bushes next to the narrow opening and hidden in a pile of snow. It was a wonder we could've spotted them at all. It looked like they were unconscious.

"Miroku?" Inuyasha called.

"Sango?" I whispered.

There was a slight groan, and both began to move.

"Oh gee." Miroku said through raspy throat.

"What the heck happened?" Inuyasha asked. "You guys look like –"

"I know." Both of them said at the same time.

"We went down this slope to find Kagome." Sango muttered. "Miroku met us up at the start of the slope when you fell down the Sharp Shark Slope."

"How'd you get here?" I asked curiously.

"Well, first off, Ayame fell down after singing that Sunshine song because she thought she was a bald eagle…and would you know it – she fell down the Suicide Slope." Miroku muttered.

"So, where is she?"

Sango sighed. "No idea. After she fell me and Miroku went after her, but she must still be somewhere in the middle of the slope."

"And Kouga?"

"Should be near the trees. He's looking around for her…"

"What's that?" I pointed up.

"What – ?"

It was like a dot…actually, more like a little ball going down the mountain in a speed of light, but a little dot at that. It left behind a blur of colors behind as it continued going down the slope, and a soft yet still audible screech followed. If I hadn't squinted, I would've thought the snow splashing past it was an light avalanche of some sort.

O.O

"…Ayame?"

I think she was scared and freaked out as I was. But it was nearly impossible to see her in that speed she was going in. And since she was just so delirious, I don't think she knew what was happening either – but it was obvious what kind of trouble she was in.

During her screech, these thoughts had flown past her as she was forced to make the inevitable decision.

A) Try to fall over and cause an avalanche with her speed.

B) Turn and crash into a tree and get an concussion

Or C) Crash into Miroku and Sango and try to avoid killing herself

…choices, choices…

I really thought she was going for choice C, I really did. But that's not what happened. Oh ho – the completely and the utterly unexpected happened.

Kouga, out of the blues, crashed through the thick trees and dived, right onto Ayame who was just a few feet away from crashing into Miroku and Sango.

Later, I found out he had just come back from the rental house to check if Ayame had already went back there (which explained why he didn't have his snowboard).

I shut my eyes as I heard a simultaneous 'oomph' and a thud as Kouga's body landed on Ayame's. There was a collective gasp, and I couldn't help but open my eyes. It was just that curiosity thing.

My eyes widened; my head spun. I nearly fainted with a huge grin on my face. It was like a train wreck; you wanted to look away, but you couldn't. And it was even better than a train wreck.

Kouga was on top of Ayame (yet again), but…

Their lips had met.

Ayame was looking a little dazed from the fall, and her face showed that she didn't know what was going on around her. But Kouga knew. His eyes were wide in horror, and his face stayed still with shock white skin. His arms supported his body from crushing Ayame's, and her skis were forcing him to the side, but all in all, their face position was still the eye-catch of the day.

Kouga, inadvertently, had given Ayame her first kiss.

And Ayame wasn't even entirely conscious to notice it.

**AN**: Wow…I finally updated…and even with a little twist. -.o WEEEEEEEEEEEEE-!


	16. The Handsome, the Mysterious, and the…

**AN:** I'm in Canada, baby!

…

Oh, and remember to tell me what you think of the pic of Sesshoumaru without his demonic markings in my bio.

Now on with the show!

-

"That's cruel and unusual!"

I tried desperately looking away, afraid my eyes would tell it all. Fortunately, Ayame wasn't looking for any particular, 'unmentionable' clues.

Sango continued trying to calm the girl down, though it was hardly working.

"Dang, what's there to know, huh?" Ayame threw her fists down on her bedside. "I just want to know what happened after I fainted…that's all!"

"Calm down and be quiet, okay? We're supposed to be quiet in the Nurse's Office."

"For love of – just _tell_ me!"

She was getting extremely anxious as the minutes passed, and her face was getting even redder.

After the _'incident' _at the slope, we were able to get the completely bewildered Ayame back to the resort house and beneath the bed comforter. Only thirty minutes went by before Ayame had regained consciousness again, and started asking unavoidable questions.

So we were _stuck_.

"What's there to hide anyway? I went unconscious…then poof."

I frowned. "So, you're sure you have absolutely no idea what the heck happened?"

"Well…yeah – I remember screaming, and I felt a shove…but nah, I don't remember anything other than that." She scrunched her nose and touched her lips delicately. "Though I do have a taste of…err; lemon on my lips…"

"…lemon?"

"Yeah…tastes like I ate Lemon Key Donut for breakfast."

Sango and I exchanged nervous glances…lemon? I mean, you don't expect Kouga to have lemon-tinted lips…though that wasn't the real problem at the moment.

"Umm…" Sango gently bit her bottom lips. "Yeah…I think I saw you drink…lemon ice…tea?"

"…Before skiing?"

Sango and I nodded in unison. "Yeah."

Ayame's face distorted in a twisted, very odd, look. "I don't think –"

"You did."

"But –"

"Yes, you did."

Ayame sighed. "Fine, whatever. I just don't get why you don't want me to know what happened…" She yawned and stretched her arms out, revealing her white shirt.

We both mentally sighed. We were safe…for now. Just how long would it be until Ayame finally found out…the 'lemon-incident'? Not long, I suppose. But when she does find out, it wasn't going to be very pretty.

But before I could dwell on it any longer, I saw something queer by the doorway.

You know the receptionist? The Japanese woman with the extremely straight composure ran past the open door, and I swore for the love of Kami that she had a black pistol in her hand. She looked like she was in haste, and her shiny hair was all over the place.

I couldn't see her face because of all the hair, but I guess she must have looked whiter than before. When we came back to the resort with Ayame unconscious, the woman had been unusually white, and I knew it wasn't makeup, or that she was worried about Ayame's wellbeing.

"Kagome?" Sango nudged me. "You okay?"

"You look deader than me." Ayame agreed from her bed.

I blinked. "Umm…I just gotta…see something for a sec." I had left the room in a hurry even before I finished the sentence.

Something was very wrong.

And I was the kind of person that couldn't keep my nose out these things.

**Get A Life!**

_The Handsome, the Mysterious, and the Liar_

By: Double S

It was quiet.

Really quiet – like you'd think this was a horror film and a monster was ready to pounce on you from one of the dark corners. That was actually how I felt. Terrified out of my wits and dignity; meaning just about ready to micturate in my pants.

But if that woman was able to go down the plumbing room…than maybe I could?

I slapped my hand to my mouth, before I could screech, when the pipes attached to the stone walls next to me suddenly started – indicating that the resort was using hot water for something big. It was nearly 6 PM, so the hot water was probably for the public, indoor Jacuzzi.

Now why would a fine receptionist like that woman come here of all places? And with a gun, to add to the question…

This didn't make since.

The confusing thoughts whipped past my head like a cold wind, just as a tip of a cold steel touched the back of my neck.

"Don't move." Were the two words that followed.

I held my breath, ready to scream out of my wits.

"If you're ready to do anything, I'll blow your head into the next black hole that'll swallow us all up in the few millenniums to follow."

…okay, so it was odd and I was confused, but I knew what she meant. I shut my lips tights.

"Now, what're you doing here?"

Silence.

"Who sent you?"

Silence.

"What do you want." That wasn't a question. More like seeing if I would talk.

Silence.

"Fine then." She nearly spat out those words with cold cruelty. "I'll just blow your left brain out and maybe you can just think with your _right _one."

"Wait, no!" I screamed and held my hands up…accidentally knocking the gun from the woman's hands.

She, very obviously, took it the wrong way.

"You wench!" She growled and tried to use a roundhouse kick on me. I think she really would've hit my neck and killed me if I hadn't tripped on one of the pipes on the floor…or maybe it was her receptionist skirt that held her from using her full power on me. Either way, I was saved by pure dumb luck.

"WAIT!!!" I screeched, the voice echoing again and again for a few continuous minutes before it finally died away. "STOP!!!"

The receptionist seemed to back away, but she showed no fear. "Unbelievable." She started, and what she said next made my heart stop and my knees tremble. "Can't believe Naraku would send a little girl to me for an attempted whacking."

I blinked. "Naraku? You…you know…him…?"

She, managing it so gracefully, snorted. "Don't play with me little girl."

I was in a whirlpool of shock and utter horror. This woman knew Naraku…and he was apparently trying to kill her…like how Inuyasha was being targeted. Was she also an ex-member of his gang? Did she know Kikyou? I was just so confused.

And the woman wasn't giving any chance for me to wonder about these things.

"Get up." She ordered me. "I can't kill you anyhow. I'm on probation anyway." She growled and roughly grabbed my left forearm with a vice grip. It was like cold steel tentacles wrapping around a hot coal.

"Eh? What?" I asked. Probation? …she was with the police…

The woman jerked me off the cement floor and shoved me towards the doorway, ignoring the pistol that now laid on the floor next to the boiling water pipes. It would probably melt in a couple of hours – I was already starting to sweat like crazy.

"One thing." She asked. "Just how the hell did you find me?" Her profanity didn't seem to go with her outlook.

I blinked as she suddenly pushed me out the door and into the hallway, the lights blinding me. I heard her quietly shut the door.

"I thought the Eyewitness Program would've been able to hide me for at least five years…but damn, not even a year and Naraku's already got a girl chasing my trail." She sneered at me as she stood before me. "Guess I really should've dyed my hair and worn contacts."

I was speechless. This woman was in the Eyewitness Protection Program…Probation…she was with the authority…she knew Naraku…

Inuyasha had said they were in a gang. But this wasn't some ordinary gang – no gang would be this seriously involved with the cops. Then something clicked in my head.

One word popped into mind.

Godfather.

It was weird, thinking about that movie. But it all made since. It all added up.

Yakuza – Mafia. Attempted whacking…

Why had he disliked the teen party in the cruise? Sango said he was shy like that…but that's because she thought it reminded him of the so-called gang. But in truth, it reminded him of the truth…reminded him of his past. Lights, partying girls…his _true _past.

He was so pompous around the girls at the beach.

Not at parties.

Hidden secret…scandal for one of the Sexiest Guys on Earth.

Naraku's 'gang'.

Naraku's operation, more like. Association with drugs…girls…drugs…girls…drugs…

…was he even a virgin…?

"Inu…godfather…oh my god." I held my head and nearly ended up screaming when I finished my crazed whining.

"Shut up!" The receptionist grabbed both of my shoulders and shook me hard; like I had been a misbehaving child. "You're going to attract too much attention you wench!" My head spun, and I was pushed against the wall. Ow…

But both of us had already heard loud thumping footsteps storming down the hallway; like an unseen thunder aiming directly towards our way.

She held onto my shoulder while she looked towards the loud noise, and her face was contorted into a strong panic. Not scared panic – but an annoyed/angry panic.

"Shit." The woman growled and took my forearm. She was probably trying to hide us from the oncoming form, but since there was no other place to hide in this purely deserted wooden hallway, we had to settle with the pipe room…again.

It was like Hawaii or Florida during summer in the steaming room, the pipes working its hardest that day.

The older woman quietly closed the door behind her as the footsteps got even louder. Then there was talking – two people.

"Damn it. Where the hell is that bitch?"

I froze. Were the two people outside the door looking for the receptionist?

"Fuck…if we don't find her, we're in deep shit, you know that?" What they were saying were barely audible, for the door was thick oak and they were whispering in haste.

"I know you moron. But that freaking…you know Inuyasha's gang are here?"

I looked at the other woman with fear obvious in my eyes. She immediately caught the look on my face. These people were harsher than the last guys that kidnapped me…they were serious, and they meant business.

"Yeah I know that. Three girls, two guys and that Inuyasha. But someone else is going to take care of them. I heard one of the sluts got themselves hurt while skiing, and the other two whores are waiting for her to recover in the medical room."

Obviously, they hadn't seen me walk out to follow the receptionist.

"Where are the guys?"

"Inuyasha's with the other two idiots in his room. So that Kagura-bitch should be around the hotel somewhere…"

By now, I had already realized that they were Naraku's henchman, and the receptionist, Kagura, was indeed somehow connected to them. She already knew by then that I was also connected to them, but not in a similar situation like hers.

She turned away from eavesdropping through the door, and started to walk away deeper into the now even hotter pipe room. Just like a Volcano…

"Where're you going?" I hissed as I followed her.

"I'm sorry I presumed you for being one of those Naraku's goons." Kagura said tiredly. "I was in haste. So I just assumed…" – she growled – "The hell. I got to get my gun."

I watched her as she got on her knees and started to reach for the gun right underneath a pipe. A pipe that was red with incredible heat from the boiling water running in it to travel to the other side of the resort…

"Careful…" I whispered as I watched with my lips tight in a line.

"I know what I'm doing."

Unfortunately, she probably could've gotten the gun without a scratch, _if_ the room hadn't started letting steam escape through the open pipelines to let the heat calm down and bring in the small amount of cool air (resulting in a large whistle of steams bursting forth without warning); causing both of us to loose our tension.

"Ah!" Kagura burned her hand as she accidentally pulled the gun, her vision blurred because of the steam that was rising into her face. Her hand was scorched horribly.

Somewhere during all this, the two man must have heard her yell, because a moment later, there was a bam as the door ricocheted off the cement wall. But since the steam was steadily rising to the ceiling, they couldn't see either me or Kagura.

I decided to run for it when I heard Kagura dash away, her burnt hand dangling limply. I followed her swift footsteps and we went even deeper into the room, the steam activating my sweat gland to work its hardest. I couldn't even see where I was going until I finally crashed into Kagura, her trying to open the door that led to the other side of the long pipe room.

"Freaking door, it's jammed!" She yelled in the mass of whistle of steams. She brought her gun up with her good left hand, and promptly shot at the handle. Luckily, the gun had a silencer attached to it, so without another noise, we slammed the door open and slammed the door closed.

We had ended up in another hallway, just like the one before. It was nearly identical I would've thought that this was the same hallway if it wasn't for the door to the right that said, _'Kitchen'_.

"Crud…" Kagura dropped her gun and held her right hand. It had a distinctive scorch mark on it. "Crud, crud…"

"Are you okay?" I bit my bottom lip and watched the woman kneel down on the floor, obviously in a lot of pain. We were sweaty, red, tired, and still out of breath. I was confused and scared like a small kitten, and she was hurting in a way I never wanted to know. What a joyful day in Canada…

"Oh yeah. Great like when the Earth's going to Explode." She muttered. But she was too much in pain to add sarcasm into her remark.

"…okay then." I looked around. Deserted. "We better hurry…"

"No matter." She shook her head and sled up against the wall to straighten her self up. "It's noon, meaning it's the slow hours. Everyone's out skiing except for your friends, and the other receptionists are too busy in the lounge playing ping-pong, watching TV, or looking at the latest magazines."

I looked at her with a cross of confusion and dumbness. "Then why did you drag me into the pipe room…?"

"I told you…I panicked." She muttered angrily and started to slowly walk towards the kitchen. "I better get my hand bandaged…can you pick that gun up?"

I blinked and looked down at the gun. "Err…"

"Think what you want, but I'm not trying to get your fingerprint on it. It's not like the police will actually find out that this ever happened…got that?" She narrowed her eyes.

I gulped and nodded; but either way, I picked up the gun with my long sleeve.

Kagura rolled her eyes, but I heard a light chuckle.

-

She continued wrapping her hand with the gauze. Her fingers were still usable, but her palm and her wrist were too damaged for now.

"Don't you need a wrist-guard, or a cast for that burn?"

"It's only a burn." She replied.

The kitchen was deserted and quiet, and the large windows illuminated the specks of snow falling down from the light sky outside. I had a mug of Coco in my hands. The gun was at the end of the table, untouched for now.

"So, you used to be with the 'gang'…?" I lightly stepped into her territory.

She paused, but continued wrapping her wrist a few seconds later with the medical kit next to her. "And you're one of the three girls with Inuyasha, I take it?"

"Yeah…"

She sighed and took out a small scissor, cutting the roll from the gauze wrapped tightly around her hand. "Well, since you answered. No…I was never one of the 'gang'."

I blinked. I hadn't expected a 'no' for that answer.

"But I am related to Naraku."

"Oh, how so?"

"I'm his fifth cousin."

I nearly fell off the seat. When she had said she was related to him, I thought maybe related to what Naraku was doing…not actually related to _him_.

"Yeah, most people are surprised." She continued without looking up, packing up the medical kit. "I have a distinct look that connects me to Naraku, but other than that, we're completely different. Him; smooth and nasty, me; outright and forward." She didn't mention graceful for either she was trying to be modest, or she just couldn't see herself that way.

"So…what about the probation and the…rest of the story…"

"I'm getting to that." She leaned on the chair, the medical kit packed. I noticed that the gun was gone from the table. The _loaded_ gun. "You see, ever since we were little, Naraku loved tricks – like a rogue. He never attacked his situation by his hands, even if he could've done it easily. He was smart, wise, and strong. A+ in everything at school. But he didn't care for grades. He loved trickery the most. He enjoyed watching others struggle, thinking he was above them all. After High School, he started getting into drugs. Drug deals and trades in the black market. You see, he never actually got into the drugs itself – wisely said they were idiotic and he with his stature wouldn't dare sniff them. But since he loved seeing suffering, he started handing them out to fellow students in his University. Then he started charging. He then quickly made money, and quit University. After that he became a huge Crime and Drug Lord."

…this was the whole life story of _the_ Naraku. The Naraku Inuyasha was against. The true Naraku I had never heard of. Did Sango know this? She seemed like she bought the whole fake story of Naraku being a gang leader…

"Then that's when I got involved. I had always ignored the fact that he was fascinated into tricks. He wasn't a bad kid – but that was before middle school. I hadn't heard from him for a long time after he got into high school. Both our parents died with a family disease that killed most of the adults in our family line, so we lived with separate foster parents. He went to the U.S. after high school, I had heard, and I went through the student exchange program and went to Shanghai, China." She was holding her forehead by now. "He's just nearly 6 years older than me, so by the time I started high school, he was already into the whole Black Market ordeal. In the summer after the freshman year, I decided to visit him for the heck of it. That was the stupidest decision I ever made."

"…what, what happened?"

"Naraku tricked me – ironically. He dragged me into the deceit of lies, and tricked me. He used me as a decoy during a nearly homicidal drug trade. Turned out he was trading drugs for weapons to a former general, so he needed me as a decoy. The police caught me, thinking I was with Naraku, and took me in. Took nearly a year just to understand what had happened and to get all the evidence that explained my innocence. But by then, Naraku was long gone, somewhere in Mexico or Russia. And I was too involved with him to go back to Japan. They threw me into the Eyewitness Program, and all that junk."

I probably had my mouth open. That was a slate cut dramatic, but true, story of this receptionist. "So…Kagura isn't your real name?"

"It's funny." She gave the same humorless smile. "I've been Nagakawa Kuriko, Kamifuri Yuri, Higushi Kari, Sandra Wen, Crystal Rosewater, Bell Ballad…and a lot of other names I can't remember. I've had so many identities, hair colors, eye colors, histories, attitudes…I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be anymore. Even if Kagura isn't my real name, it doesn't matter does it?" She rubbed her bandaged hand. "As long as I can stay away from what's after me, I really don't care who I have to be. Sooner or later, I really am going to loose my mind and actually forget who I ever was."

It was clear she couldn't, and wouldn't answer. Either she was Kagura, or she wasn't. Naraku had deceived her, and now she was forced to act like someone she never was, over and over again. Even now, I didn't know if she was really the person she was. Was this calm and peaceful girl the Kagura, or was it the brute and angry woman the true person she was? Was her hair the true color? Was she wearing contacts right then? There were so many things to ask…but so many things to hold back.

"So…are you being watched right now?"

"Naraku or the police?" She gave a short laugh. "Naraku, I really don't care. But the police…well, let's just say there are many ways I can elude them. First off, I was always good at acting." She cracked her good knuckle. "Before this all happened, I had been planning to professionally get into acting. They said I had talent; an act for faking my personality. A good face and a body for the camera. It's pretty much easy for me make people think what I want them to think about me. This is something I have in common with Naraku. He wants others to think he was nasty, which, he was anyway. But if he wanted to start something witch his tricks, he would turn into this innocent young man that looked just, so handsome, you would want help him no matter what. But I just get a fake identity, and I can steer clear of the police and the goons from Naraku."

She could've been a potential actress…?

Kagura – the receptionist with many identities – closed her eyes. "That's my life history. I could probably get this published into a book, but that's after Naraku's arrested. If he ever does get arrested…"

I shook my head. I couldn't believe it. I was listening to a rebel – a rebel against the bad guys, and the good guys. A true wanderer between paths. "This is just so…so realistic."

"Something you would watch in a Soap Opera at noon?"

"Yeah…Inuyasha never told me–" I stopped. I had just started to say something I was still mad at.

"Inuyasha?" Kagura opened one eye. "The guy Naraku wants to kill?"

"…" I nodded.

"I take it he didn't tell you about something."

"…" I nodded.

"And I also take it you're mad at him for keeping something from you."

"…" I nodded.

"Typical relationship problem."

"…" I nodded…then I paused. "Hey, wait a second! I do not have a _relationship_ with that guy!"

"Sure. Denial is real common too, ya know." She smirked. It was very, _very_ creepy. She just reminded me of that arrogant smirk of Inuyasha's, and she portrayed it so well…she was good.

"You never met Inuyasha before?" I asked suspiciously.

"Never in my life." She shrugged. "Heard about him here and there, but there were a lot of guys working for Naraku. I never actually looked into Naraku's operation, remember? I was used as soon as I visited him."

"Mm…" I looked down. Inuyasha…now I understood why he never told us. If we thought about this problem as some kind of a minor problem, we wouldn't worry…he didn't want us to worry. But we had been dragged into this already. Inuyasha was in a same situation as Kagura, except he was deeper into trouble than she was. So why hadn't he joined the Eyewitness program like her?

Ego. His egoistical smirk. His attitude. His nature kept him from confessing that he had ever worked with Naraku. He couldn't admit it. He wouldn't admit it. He was a complete idiot.

"It's been nearly an hour." Kagura said, looking at the clock. "You should get back to your friends. I'm sure they're wondering what happened to you."

"Oh, yeah…right." I gave a funny look. I had completely forgotten about them, harsh as that may sound. This was real drama unfolding. I couldn't just ignore it. "I should get back…then…"

"I have to go back to work anyway." Kagura shrugged.

"What about your hand?"

"The bandage? I'll just say I burned myself while trying to make scrambled eggs. I was never a good cook."

Something she could learn from Ayame. "Well, okay. See you later…"

"One more thing." Kagura held up the medical kit before I walked away. "Can you take it with you? I'm sure the goons will be back to get me when I'm alone again."

I knew that the gun was in there. "But…I mean, why…?"

"I have a lot of issue. Let's put it at that, k?" She shoved the kit into my arms. "And don't open it. Got that?"

I nodded furiously.

"Good. I have a schedule to follow anyway. I wasted my free time bandaging my hand…and now it's going to slow me down." She sighed. "Just between you and me, there's supposed to be a special guest of honor tonight."

My ears instinctively popped out. "Oh? Guest of honor?"

"Yeah…some actor." She brushed the bangs out of her eyes and blew some away. "Well, got work to do. The second Presidential Suite has to be readied, since I take it that you and your friends took the first one."

"I…" She started to walk away before I could even think of a reply. I watched her go through a door with a fine posture and start to shout at someone for lack of seriousness before the door closed behind her. Acting as if nothing had happened…sounding like a different person every time the surrounding's in a different mood…spontaneous, but serious…a real potential actress. But with no hope of ever reaching her dream because of that one visit to Naraku.

…the typical mystery woman in the movies…

The _Mysterious_.

…could this day ever get more dramatized?

-

"We fell right to sleep after thirty minutes of waiting. The Soap Operas on the small television were horrible." Ayame yawned, stretching her tired arms. "I feel like a couch-potato, just sitting on the bed the whole day…"

"I still don't get what happened." Sango rubbed her groggy eyes open. "So, Adrianna was going out with Dennis, but Dennis was Leon's brother, and Leon was Melanin's boyfriend…and then Amaryllis was Blossom's cousin. So, who were the two evil, witch stepsisters?"

"Think it was Ivy and Grecian…or was it the Thorn sisters…?" Ayame shook her head. "The heck…it could've been the Silver twins and I wouldn't notice the difference…"

"Oh man…now I'll never know how it ended…"

I sat by the window, watching them with drooping eyes. One action was fine for one day…but two for one…that was just wrong. Too much action was never good – especially when you have this nagging feeling that you're being watched. But the resort had dozens of cameras; of course we were being watched!

Actually, I was lying, even to myself…which was pretty much unhealthy. I knew that I had meant Naraku's goons were watching…

But how to break it to the girls? They were too busy bickering about the Storms and the Summers or whichever family was being slaughtered in a deserted camp…

I guess I could just hold it in. Though that was a good way of suffering myself.

And speaking of such…the first aid box…gotta hide it under the bed…while no one's looking.

"So did you hear? This real actor's coming to the resort." Ayame started gossiping to Sango, somehow stumbling towards that subject.

My ears, yet again, instinctively popped out. How had they –?

"Yeah, some extremely talented guy." She shrugged.

"Some extremely talented, _and_ rich, _and_ handsome guy by the sounds of it. Forgot his name…some girls call him Fluffy." Ayame scrunched her nose. "Kind of stupid really. He was in this film as a man nicknamed FLuke, because the character always lied and annoyed people with magic tricks. And in this one scene, he was in a club with his top shirt off with only his tight leather pants, and a huge boa on his right shoulder."

"Thus came the name Fluffy?" Sango raised her eyebrows. "Weird…"

She shrugged. "Well, not like I care. Only saw it in a couple of magazines."

"How did you guys know this 'Fluffy' guy was coming tonight?" I cut in.

Ayame and Sango blinked at me. "Everyone's talking about it."

"Yeah but…we went skiing in the morning…you guys were here all afternoon…how…when – where?" I was so confused. This was the wonder of gossip working its queer magic.

Ayame waved her hand. "Heard a couple of girls talking 'bout it, who heard it from the couple of receptionists gossiping."

You see, there are many types of girls who can store this much useless information, but numbers and history dates just don't sum up in their potentially capable mind. They are called the extreme preppy girls of the world. Ayame…well, she was a receptionist back in Hawaii, so she must have been good with storing info in her head…I guess…

"Well, with all the fuss we sort of forgot about your ankle, now haven't we?" Sango pulled the sheets from Ayame, rather suddenly, and revealed her ankle for all to see. It was still a bit swollen, but it was hardly obvious and the red tint had lowered to a pink blush color. Needless to say, she looked mightier better than during skiing…

…and speaking of skiing…

"Umm, Sango?" I pulled her wrist, urging her out of the room. "Can we – err – speak privately, for a sec?"

Sango frowned, then opened her mouth a moment later as if she had understood what I had meant. "Oh yes! Of course – let's go to the hall then."

Ayame blinked like a wounded zebra lost from the pack. "What are you guys…" Then she narrowed her eyes. "You…oh! You guys are going to talk about what happened during –!" We shut the door satisfyingly after ourselves.

"Well, what is it you need to talk about?" Sango frowned. "It obviously got something to do with the 'Skiing Incident'."

"Yeah, it does…listen, have you heard from Kouga?"

She shook her head to my dismay. "Not since we brought Ayame to the Nurse's Office."

I bit my bottom lip.

"Anything wrong?"

"Well heck yeah. You know Kouga – he's like any guy; blame others for what happened. I'm afraid he's going to really take it all out on Ayame…"

Sango's lips parted slightly, and she raised her eyebrow with a funny look…_Miroku's_ look. (Perverted look…)

I gawked. "Ewww – oh dear lord no! I mean take it out on her in a mean way!!!"

"…oh…" Sango lost her 'enlightened'/Miroku's/Perverted look.

"You're really impressionable, you know that? I mean, a few minutes with Miroku each day and now you're turning just like him…well, a female version of him anyway…"

"What?!" Sango retorted, spraying spit ungracefully. "You gotta be kidding me!!!"

"Whoa, will you calm down? I'm just saying you weren't like this before…"

She continued grumbling.

"C'mon, we might as well visit the guys. See how Kouga's taking all this."

She continued grumbling…but she followed me anyway.

The nurse's office was a few stories below our room, so we took the elevator. It was one of those elevators with black marble built into the wall, so you can see your reflection, and the old fashioned music that would've ticked any serious hip-hop lover off, fit the mood and the luxurious fashion of the resort perfectly.

"Hey ya, guys…" I poked my head in, taking out the cardkey from the door slot. I looked around after a few seconds without any answer. "Fine…lousy welcoming committee…" I pushed the door open, letting Sango and me in without a question.

"Freaking damn it…I didn't think…can't believe…" A jumble of hard mutters was heard right behind the first corner of the Presidential Suite.

"What the heck's – oomph!"

Sango must have had a very mixed look – one with a shocked and disgusted look; and the other with the same e/M/P look and satisfied because she could prove me wrong.

Before I could've turned a corner and exchanged glances with Kouga who had been looking so miserable and terrified, that one glance at another girl would've seriously hurt him in the heart (I mean like a heart attack – wolves don't feel guilt), Inuyasha had dashed towards me when he heard the door open and shoved me onto the wall, covering my mouth with his hands.

Second time I was pushed against the wall that day…

"Don't go any nearer." Inuyasha hysterically hissed at me, his face uncomfortably close to my nose. He ushered Sango to get away from peeking around the corner. Miroku was talking to Kouga with a comforting voice. Something I had never heard before in my life. Sango looked impressed – which didn't help her urge to look around the corner to see what the heck was happening.

"Rah err umm dooming?"

"Kouga's real depressed right now – one look at another girl and he'll die of heart attack. I gotta hold you back." He glared at Sango as a warning. She sighed and backed away from the corner.

"Jus ret mi go, ham or fan."

"Can't. Don't trust you at all." He pointedly glare at Sango again. She held up her hands for innocence.

…

…trust?

Trust?!

_**TRUST?! **_

…

Damn him. He lies to us all with his scandal (drugs, girls, drugs, girls, drugs…) and says it was just a gang. Gang my freaking…stupid, now I'm cussing like him. Ooh, he's rubbing off on me like Miroku's to Sango…

The horror.

I stayed put, my face unchanged. He just seemed different then. To my eyes I mean – not the old Inuyasha. The _lying_ Inuyasha. The Inuyasha no one could trust anymore. The old Inuyasha was an arrogant, egoistical smirking idiot with those flashy eyes, careless attitude and the devil-made body…this guy…he was one of those crooks. Like Naraku. A deceitful but mysterious man that cheats and lies to get what he wants.

The liar of the movies.

The _Liar_.

"What?" Inuyasha cocked his head like a puppy. "What's wrong with you?"

It must have been the way I was looking at him. An indifferent look that just stared right through a human's soul. A hurt look.

I didn't even try to answer him. I wouldn't reveal to anyone that I knew. I would never reveal that I knew.

Not until he told the truth first.

"You okay?" Sango joined in the concerned-party.

I raised my left eye like I always did, pretending that nothing was wrong – trying to be sarcastic. It was horribly painful.

"You should let her speak."

Uh-oh. My mouth had no control over words – _I_ had no control over my mouth. No, not good.

So I did the first thing I could think of in the microsecond.

I bit into his hand.

I think he just had McDonalds. Anyway, it was unusually tasty; which helped me bite into his hand even harder and urge me on with my desperate act.

_**"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!" **_

Oh yeah. Must have been painful.

I think a lot of weight left my shoulder then. Let your anger out Kagome, let your anger out…all out on that single bite. Let him feel the pain you felt when you realized he was a liar. A _complete_, stinking, **freaking** liar.

_"KAGOME!!! What are you doing?!" _Sango screamed, practically jumping around the walls. Oh yeah, if the guy you're working for gets injured, then you're in deep trouble. Keep bouncing Sango. Act like he's not a liar…act like you really don't know that he was in a mafia. Act like everyone else – the idiotic clueless duds.

I heard a few thumps. Inuyasha was trying to shake me off. He didn't want to fling me against the wall, but he wanted me off of him either way. I must have been like a piranha. No way I was letting go.

Kouga and Miroku were there now. Beside Sango. She was trying to hold on to Miroku. She was half in horror and half in laughter. Kouga was confused – plain confused. He looked pale and miserable, but now he was just confused…Miroku was even more confused, but determined to stop the commotion. Of course, they all had '**AMUSED**' written on their face in ugly, big bold letters.

I can't remember why I was doing this now. Oh wait, he was a liar. That's why I continued to latch onto his hand. His poor, poor right hand…he was probably going to have to be left handed after this.

And then, even more mass of confusion.

Ayame in her pajama, standing in front of the door. Dang, she just had to follow us. She was staring. She must've been thinking, "So this was what was happening when I'm not around" or something along those lines.

Okay…now Kouga's even paler. Hmm, Inuyasha's thrashing even more horribly. I must've been biting even harder because of the anxiety of seeing the two together. Ayame was looking at Inuyasha and me on his hand, but Kouga was looking at Ayame.

Oh wait, now Kouga's gone. Miroku's calling after him to come back. A loud door slam. Kouga's in his room…Sango just let out a groan. She's miserable and depressed. She had enough. Miroku's torn between trying to calm her down, or go help Kouga.

Ayame, unwittingly, decides to follow Kouga and see what's wrong. Or to find out what the heck was going out. She liked bothering him. Bad timing…

Miroku decides to take Sango out to the hallway. He's leading Sango away.

What's wrong with her?

The front door closes.

I'm alone with Inuyasha.

Oddly enough, he calms down. He stops thrashing. I bite him harder. No effect.

"Stop." Inuyasha says. He's holding a lot of anger in. _**Not**_ healthy. "It hurts."

I want to say, good. I want to say, it has to be even more painful. I want to say, die. Just die for making me feel the way I do. Why Kouga's acting so strangely. Why Sango's all of a sudden breaking down. Ayame and Miroku's too helpless to do anything.

We were all breaking apart.

Inuyasha caused it first.

I bite harder. Harder.

"It's not going to work." He said it softly. So softly I actually nearly let go to stare at him. But just nearly.

I bite. Harder. Harder.

"Do you really want to taste blood?" He joked, settling down, so he would sit against the wall and I would have to keep on biting onto his hand next to him. Ayame and Kouga in the bedrooms, unable to hear us. Sango and Miroku in the hallway, unable to hear us. "Believe me, it doesn't taste good. Metallic; like aluminum foil."

I loosened my bite a bit. But that little bit made a whole lot of difference.

He hurriedly shoved me on the shoulder, making me loose my balance. Instinctively, I widened my mouth to yell out, and Inuyasha having already known I was going to do that, took his saliva-covered hand away from me and pushed me against the wall again.

…I stood corrected. Third time against the wall.

Inuyasha had his arm across my chest (which was very uncomfortable for my breasts) but he didn't seem to notice just where his arm was.

So we were both against the wall, him sighing and looking at his red right hand, and me pushed on the wall with his left arm as if I was a mere feather. Embarrassing, no?

"Just what the _hell_ were you thinking?" He had this still calm attitude around him, which made his cussing as if it was a minor question about how I was doing in life.

"…" I stayed silent.

"Freaking…you could've mutilated my hand, you know that?"

"…"

"…Well? I do want to know what the heck is wrong with you."

"…"

"Fine then. Be that way." He placed himself in front of me, and settled his hands on my shoulders.

…okay, weird position.

He leans in. Now, I'm sitting on the floor and refusing to move, while he got his hands on my shoulders and closing in on my face. Just what the heck – uh-oh. No way…

What was he thinking? He leans in even closer. I can feel his hot musky breath. AHHHHH!!!

His nose is a millimeter away from mine. He cocks his head to close his mouth around mine. I try moving my head away, but he crushes my chest with his left arm again, and holds my wrists with his right hand. Now I can feel my saliva from his right hand on my skin.

Closer…

Was he trying to scare me to death, or was he really intending to kiss me no matter what?

"Stop." I whisper.

Inuyasha pauses. His lips now so close to mine it looks like he really is kissing me from a few meters away. "Why?" He smirks devilishly. "Don't want your first kiss with me?"

No, nope, nada, no way. _Dame (Don't)_, _uso desho? (You're kidding, right?)_, never, heck no. So many choices of words to say to him, but it never came out. Only a gurgled noise escaped my voice box. Did I want him to kiss me? My first kiss?

…I really didn't care for first kisses. Because I never wanted a first kiss. No boyfriend for me. Just work…work is good.

But now…how did he get in my life? He lies to us all…now his…his…his…

He was coming on to me?!

"Liar." I whisper.

He stops dead. No movement. His looking at me hard now. No more husky voice. No more breath on my lips. "What?" He sounds harsh. Pale-looking.

"Liar." I repeat, barely above a whisper.

"What the hell…" He pushes me harder against the wall. He holds my chin harsher. Arrogance. "What did you just…"

"Unbelievable." Ayame!!!

She comes around the corner, and finds us. Only, Inuyasha isn't in front of me anymore. His on his stomach on the floor, groaning as if he was in real pain, holding his right hand with his left. I wipe my chin of my saliva. He had jumped away, no, more like dived away at the last second. Maybe he was in real pain from the dive…

He didn't want to be seen kissing me. But he would molest a girl in public at the beach.

He was toying me. Just wanted information out of me. No serious kissing done around here.

That's all I needed as a confirmation.

Ayame's holding a can of coke. She was directly looking at the can, and not even realizing what had just happened to me. Us. "Stupid Kouga. Trying to kill me with a Diet Coke…he better not be hinting anything…"

"Huh?" I piped up. I didn't want Inuyasha to be with me anymore.

Ayame blinked and looked down at us. "What the – oh, I thought you guys were gone when it got quiet."

"What's wrong with Kouga?" Inuyasha asked. He's looking at me instead, though. I'm staring at the soda in Ayame's hand. His gaze on me is intense.

"He threw this can that was full and unopened at me when I opened his bedroom. It hit the wall and made a nasty mess. There's like a big spot on it now." She shrugged and chucked the can until it was empty, then she sighed in contempt. She left to throw the empty can away, but we could still hear her.

Doh, now where was I suppose to stare at. Oh, my hands…they're good eye-candy.

"Kouga wouldn't even look at me when I dodged the can, though I think he was really aiming at me. Just to scare me, I guess. I sat on the bed next to him and asked what's wrong." Ayame continued, and there here was a huge question mark, obvious in the next part. "He turns, real slowly, and I thought he was Jason for a sec. One with the chainsaw about to kill me. Then he looks at me intensely, and asks why I was acting like I didn't know. I'm just 'What?' and he's this gaping boy. So I lean in to ask what heck was wrong with him, and he backs away, like he's scared. And all the while, he's not looking at me. He's looking at my other body parts, and sometimes just through me. Most of the time, he was looking at my chest…" She looks down at her clothes. "I think he's gone nuts."

Me and Inuyasha look at the clothes she's wearing. Sure, we all knew she was one of those girls that didn't mind wearing tube tops or tank tops in public, but we never realized how big her…err…umm…how big her…err…well, you all know that you needed big -ahem- to wear tube tops. Inuyasha looked away. I just stare at Ayame's face.

No wonder Kouga was so embarrassed. A girl with that kind of great body could make it on a lot of magazines. And Kouga was forced to bare the fact that he took her first kiss, while she was trying to pry out the answers from anybody she knew. Apparently, Ayame knew very well Kouga wasn't the type to hold in secrets, and since he was so vulnerable right now, he seemed like the likely target to be questioned by her.

That poor, poor wolf…

-

"So, what's wrong with her?"

"Sango?" Miroku blinks. He sighs and makes himself comfortable on the couch. "Stress I guess."

"Eh?" Stress? That was new.

Miroku sighs. "Sango…she just can't take it when everyone's against each other. She's the type of girls who worries about everyone else's health rather than her own. She said Kouga's gone nuts, and now you're acting like it's the end of the world." He holds his forehead. "I guess what you did was too dramatic for her."

I look down at my mug. I was sorry, really I was. But…I couldn't feel but satisfied of what I did to Inuyasha.

"She's talking it out with Inuyasha. Find out what's going on with everyone." He says.

There's a lot of people around the fireplace now. It was dark outside the windows, and a lot of people are walking around the receptionist's desks.

"The thing is, I think she's more worried about her home life."

…?

"She has a little brother herself, you know. Kohaku." He shrugs. "The problem is, he's at the hospital back in Shanghai."

" China?"

"Yeah. He's waiting there." He nodded grimly. "She found out he's at the hospital earlier this week. He's waiting for a new heart."

New…heart?

"She's going through a minor dosage of depression. Ayame, you, and her brother. Also, she just found out that her father's thinking of remarrying another woman. Sango's mother died giving birth to Kohaku. Too much stress, the doctors said."

Stress…oh boy.

To get this all straight in my head, I thought of a chart.

Kouga – scared to death of Ayame getting near him with her now realized perfect body.

Ayame – confused to death as to why everyone's so hushed around her. Bothering Kouga way too much.

Sango – major family problem back at China and seriously tweaked with all of our health.

Miroku – worried horribly of Sango. Also showing a sign of maturity. Puberty?! Oh dear lord, he's growing up.

Inuyasha – starting to come on to me. What's wrong with him? He's never been _this _friendly before…

Kagome – worried for Kouga, nervous around Ayame, depressed for Sango, shocked around Miroku, and angry/scared of Inuyasha…

Whoa…

Scared of Inuyasha? Okay…maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

"You okay?"

I snapped awake. "Huh? Oh yeah…just graphing."

"Graphing?"

I sighed. "There sure are a lot of people. Must be for the grand entrance of the famous actor."

"Hmm? Oh right, the actor." Miroku tried to ignore how I changed the subject. "Who was it again? Something about F Luke, I hear."

"That was his character's name." I yawn. "His nickname's like Fluffy or something…"

I hear a clank. I look up to see Miroku gawking at me, his mug on the granite table.

For a few minutes, he just stares at me in horror, dead stopped. Then he nervously chuckles.

"For a moment, I heard you say fluffy…ha, ha…how stupid of me." He closes his eyes and shakes his head, then takes a sip from his mug.

"But I _did _say Fluffy."

Poof--

Miroku's strawberry smoothie all over my face, sprayed by Miroku's mouth, oh joy.

"Ewww!" I groan, spitting and wiping my face with all the napkins on the table. Lots of stares by other guests.

Miroku's still gaping. And gaping. Oh joy. "Fluffy? Fluffy? Sesshoumaru?!" He's hissing loudly, scared that others would hear him.

"Sesshoumaru…?" I clear my throat. "Who?"

"Inuyasha's brother, god freaking…" He's trying to calm himself now.

I widen my eyes. "Inuyasha's got a bro – ah, I mean…" I lower my voice, remembering we were supposed to be undercover tourists. "He's got a brother?!"

"Sesshoumaru, yes! The actor." Miroku looked terribly hysterical.

"But…isn't this a good thing? Brother to brother confrontation?"

"No! I mean…no. Sesshoumaru was already in Oxford University when Inuyasha started his action career."

I blinked. "This is going to be a long explanation, right?" First Kagura. Now him.

"…eh…" Miroku looks around. "Make yourself comfortable."

So I did and slid against the back of my leather chair.

"Sesshoumaru wanted to be a doctor, but he got…err, discovered when he went to Hollywood during a vacation. With a little acting lesson, he was chosen the best Male Actor in a heartbeat. You see, Sesshoumaru's a single parent, raising a child. That's a real secret. No paparazzi knows that, and none of his fans do either. Only me, Inuyasha, and Kouga." Miroku stopped. He looked around and decided to continue. "Sesshoumaru's mother had an affair with Inuyasha's dad. She died of cancer, but not before she gave birth to Sesshoumaru. His mom and dad never got properly married, so 'Fluffy' was the 'forbidden' child, I guess. Inuyasha's father was a tough business man. He met Inuyasha's mom when he got in an automobile accident. She was the nurse at that hospital. Before you know it, he marries with her and have Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha _never_, _**ever**_ got along."

"…kind of like what we have between us?"

"Yes, something like – hey, wait a sec." Miroku rubbed his temple. "No, what we have is a typical sibling relationship. Sesshoumaru just simply hates Inuyasha, since his deceased mother was also a powerful lawyer. It would've been catastrophic if his lawyer mother and Inuyasha's dad was found together in a bed. But when he finds out his father's marrying someone who the old man met just a few months before…well, you know. Sesshoumaru is also a widow, more so. People knows that he was married to a CEO of a company…then she died of – what was it again? – an infection. A serious infection in her left arm. Tragic…I mean, it ran in her family. Not even Inuyasha knows that name of the woman, though. Real shame, that anonymous woman leaving a little girl behind for Sesshoumaru to care of. He really cares for his kid. Both the 'forbidden' children, you see. The woman only married Sesshoumaru to make both look good. Sesshoumaru actually having a heart underneath that cold shell – and her a powerful, attractive, and motherly woman. Purely out of business and no intention of love. Then, she finds this orphan walking around their neighborhood. She takes the kid in thinking it might help their image as a homey, yet overly phony, family, and makes Sesshoumaru swear he would keep her as their own, then dies. Sesshoumaru's stuck with the girl, but she's sort of growing on him…"

"…"

"…"

"…and?"

Miroku blinked. "Oh yes…and the episode shall continue."

"Oh c'mon! There has to be more you're not telling me!"

"You kidding me? I told you all that I know – it should be enough for your craving for gossips."

"I do not crave for gossips." I glared at him. "Liar…"

He gently sipped his mug. "Whatever. All I know is, a sibling grudge that's been going on for nearly two decades is finally been put to its worst, with the two of them ending up in the same hotel by a coincidental accident."

"Hmm. So what are you going to do?"

Miroku paused. "What do you mean, what am _I _going to do?"

"Well, I just assumed since you know all this and Kouga's so distressed with Ayame following his trail…"

"Oh no. Sango and Ayame's too involved with their problems, but you're going to have to help."

"What?!"

He shrugged. "Hey, now that you know the story, and you're the only one who doesn't have anything to watch or worry behind their back, you might as well help out around here."

"That's not fair! You're the one who blabbed everything to me just now!"

"And you were just dying for more to hear a few seconds ago." He narrowed his eyes.

"You…you…" I stared at him long and hard. But what I was going to say died in my voice box before it traveled to my mouth.

A man with a thick leather coat hanging down to his feet, wearing a pair of slick black sunglasses, promptly entered the lobby with a cool attitude floating around him. He looked around the room, grunted, and turned around to leaved.

There, I saw a single earphone hanging from his right side. No radio. No MD could be hidden inside his coat. And his black greased hair indicated that he was too young to have a hearing aid.

Miroku watched me, then followed my eyes towards the tall dark figure. He saw the suspicious behaviors.

"Miroku, I gotta go." I began to stand up.

"Wait."

I turned to look.

"I'm going with you."

He smiled as I raised my eyebrow.

-

"It's gotten late already…"

"Be quiet! Don't you know the meaning of spying?" I hissed back at him, tiptoeing around the hallway.

"I am quiet! And are you sure he went this way?"

"Yes, I'm sure, and – ah! Look!"

Miroku and I ducked back, just as we were rounding around a corner. A very audible whisper continued as a door opened in the next hallway.

"Freaking damn. That wench is going to pay for this."

The familiar cursing caught my ears, and I had to lean closer, even if Miroku was trying to pull me back with his hand on my shoulder. That _wench_ was Kagura, and the man we were spying on was standing outside the room of the two that had been chasing after her earlier today.

The slick haired man kept his sunglasses on, and leaned against the wall next to the barely opened room. He was taking the single earphone out. A speaker…The door hinges made no sound as the thin streak of shadow widened a bit to listen.

"Calm yourselves down." The cool man said.

One of the men inside the room snorted, and the other retorted, "You shut up. You have no idea what you're talking about. Naraku said he wanted Kagura, and if she made any contact with that mutt and his sluts…"

Miroku loosened his hold, and I leaned closer to hear better. Now he was beginning to get interested – Inuyasha obviously being the 'mutt'.

"Cool it, will you?" He sighed, cracking his neck. "The two of you are getting extremely fidgety over something as insignificant as this." He inquired a smirk.

"What? **Insignificant** you say?!"

Miroku and I leaned in closer, his head on top of mine.

The slick man shrugged. "Of course. I've got man stationed all over the place, dressed up as tourists and fake guards. Won't make any difference. The people we're after aren't any professional."

"But what about the mutt and wench? They've been evading us for months – nearly years. They would know something was wrong in a second."

"That's something I've already got planned." He coolly implied. "This Inu guy's very protective, you know. Guilt is his weakest point, and Kagura's a sentimental girl. Get her weak point, and we've already won. All we have to do is take a hostage. Besides, Naraku doesn't care if we damage the goods – he just wants the two."

"We've tried getting a hostage before, remember? Plenty good that did."

My left eye twitched.

"The two were idiots. I'm sure _you two_ are smarter than those last pair. As long as we get the sensitive spot…what about Kikyou?"

"Kikyou? Naraku's last whore? You kidding me…he doesn't want her involved in any of this. Actually, he's trying to forget about her, remember?"

"He didn't say anything about leaving her out of _this_ plan…we could use her as bait."

"Too bothersome!"

"Hell lot of trouble we'll get in." The other agreed with a grunt.

The man outside the door sighed in annoyance. "We'll just take one of the girls…ah, maybe the green-eyed babe? Or even that chick with the cat."

"Now you're talking our language."

Then the unthinkable happened.

The two of us, who had been leaning to look around the corner suddenly fell, as Miroku and I were leaning on the wall for support, we realized too late there were no more since we had been leaning out so far out of the edge.

"Oomph!"

"Who's there?!" The slick figure stood up right, only to find nothing as we had already rolled back to the other hallway in a panicked haste.

"Shit, we've been heard!"

"Kagome, run!" Miroku hissed and pulled me up.

Then we promptly started running.

"Get them!" The man hollered from the other hall and there was a loud thud after that, as a door was slammed open.

"We can't outrun those three!!!" I panted as Miroku kicked the stair door open, and we shuffled onto the cement staircase.

"It's nearly 7 floors above the lobby, dang it!" He jumped down the last three steps and forced the bottom door open.

We nearly tumbled out the door and into the lobby. Apparently, there was someone standing outside the door when it was forcefully opened.

"Ow!"

"Hey!"

I fell right no top of Miroku, who had stumbled into Kagura, who had been pushing a cart full of luggages.

"Ah!"

Thank lord we fell into the parking lot instead of the lobby as we thought we were going to. Sadly, it was the middle of freezing January.

"Cold…" I chattered.

"Kagome?"

Eh??? "Kagura?"

"Hmm? What?" Miroku looked around. "Who?"

"What are you doing here?!" I hissed, afraid the goons were already close enough to hear us.

"I work here." She dully replied and pointed at the toppled luggages. And she added in with a whisper, "So where's the kit?"

"Kit?"

"The first aid box!"

"Oh, under the bed." I shrugged.

"…your room bed, right?"

"No under the hospital bed."

"What?!"

"Excuse me?" Miroku butted in. "What's going on here? We've got three men after us and you two are having private conversations…"

"Oh right! We were running from them."

"From _them_?" Kagura stood up in a flurry, catching up to the full danger of the situation. "And you led _them_ to me?!"

I paused and gave a little yell, and jumped up as if I had suddenly realized I was going through spontaneous combustion. "Run! Run, run, run, run!!!"

"Care to tell me who _she_ is?" Miroku lazily got up from the snow, getting somewhat tired of this.

"Miroku, Kagura. Kagura, Miroku." I pointed randomly at the two and started to push the two away. "Now hurry before they find out we're outside!"

"Wait, that's _the _Kagura we heard the three men talking about?"

Kagura rolled her eyes as he rudely pointed at her. "Yes, I'm _the _Kagura."

"Alright, now _c'mon_!"

I grabbed Miroku's hand and roughly pushed Kagura towards the cars.

"But the luggages–"

"The heck with them!" I yelled and gave a grunt as I shoved her towards a particular car. It was a limo. "Kagura, get to the back of the car!"

"But, this is –"

"Hurry!"

"Oh all right." She grumbled and ducked behind the long black vehicle. The snow piled behind the trunk would keep her feet hidden and all.

"Where are you going to hide?" Miroku asked, looking around for another limo. There was hardly any car left to hide behind.

"Umm…" I spotted one of the luggages that had its hinges cracked open, guessing that it was forced open when we had crashed into Kagura. "Hold on."

I ran over to the pile of luggages and took a cap and a black leather jacket.

"Here." I wheezed and forced the attire into his arms. "Wear it and pretend you're the chauffer of something." It was painfully chilly, and a blast of wind made my knees shake under my body.

"A chauffer?!"

"Just pretend to be one! The three guys didn't see who was listening to them." I was about to continue when there was a loud thump from the swaying doorway, as if someone had just skipped three steps.

I ducked and joined Kagura behind the limo.

There was a pregnant silent. Then whistling…wait, whistling?

I peeked around the limo to see Miroku, wearing the black cap and jacket, and pretending to get into the limo. Up close, you could tell he wasn't even bothering to pull the handle, but from afar he looked like he very much knew what he was doing.

Then three men emerged from the back of the building. I ducked and waited with Kagura beside me, both of us holding our breath.

"Hey you!"

Miroku's whistling suddenly stopped.

"You chauffer! Seen any creeps running around here?"

I could just imagine Miroku lazily turning away from the limo door and dully staring at them with sarcasm.

"Well? I asked you a question."

Footsteps. A guy walking towards the back of the limo. I don't know if it was a good or a bad thing the limo was so long. It made his approach even more inevitable.

"Sadly, your rudeness just won't let my pride answer that." Miroku answered with a hint of edge.

"Why you –"

The footsteps stopped. A flurry of a long jacket brushing against the ground, and he was walking again. Away from the back – away from me and Kagura.

"We're the bodyguards." The greased haired man who was the one walking towards us pointedly replied to cut his other two incompetent men, and walked back to the 'chauffer'. "We've been hired by your boss to search for any riled up fans. It's your job to tell us any odd scenes." He was good.

There was a paused. Then a sigh – resignation from Miroku.

"I saw a couple of teens running from the backdoor – something about how good the acting was from Matrix wannabes. They were laughing like crazy, and then tripped over the luggages and ran before I could yell them back." Miroku said.

Kagura nearly cleared her throat, and I had my mouth opened, silently laughing like a madwoman.

I could just feel the red colors emitting from the two men, and the blinking going on from the greased guy.

"Oh…all right then. Go back to your work if you may. I'm sure you've got your work that must be done…" Then more footsteps.

Another long silence. Another blast of cold wind.

I looked at Kagura, and we both stared at each other. Unceremoniously, we both grinned when we heard Miroku sigh, and tap the glass of the car. "They're gone."

Kagura gave out a loud 'ha!' and I gave a half-snort.

"Good acting, no?" Miroku tiredly asked.

It was hard to say, but Kagura seemed to pause. One second, she was all happy with this triumphant smirk, and the next, her face droops and she almost have this faraway look on her face. Then she's back to her smirking self again.

"Yeah, good acting."

I stay staring at Kagura with this unbelievable look of shock on my face. It was the oddest thing, seeing the refined woman going through three transitions in such a short amount of time.

Miroku sighs and absentmindedly looks into the limo, while leaning on the front of the car. His face goes rigged, then pale.

"What's wrong?" I asked, standing up and trying to rub any kind of warmness into my arms. I walk over to his side and look at where he's staring. There was a big puffy dog in the driver's seat. "A dog?"

Kagura joined us. "Looks more like a white boa…" She blinked. "Sesshoumaru's…"

"This is Sesshoumaru's car?!" I turn around to stare at her.

She shrugged. "I tried to tell you, but you just pushed me behind the car without stopping."

Miroku has this twisted expression on his face. Something between scared and an 'I'm-so-doomed look' (depressed, more or not). "Then that means Sesshoumaru's already in the building…with Inuyasha wandering around inside there…probably looking for us…and when they meet…"

I look at Miroku.

Kagura looks at me.

Miroku stares at the sky.

Then we all start running to the front entrance (technically speaking, Miroku starts running, and I follow and Kagura's left with no choice but to start running after us, giving a last glance at all the fallen luggages).

"Hold on a second. Inuyasha's the same mutt you guys are with? Sesshoumaru's little brother?!"

"Sesshoumaru's little half-brother." Miroku corrected. "And seeing as you know so much about us, which Inuyasha did you think we were with? It's not a common name, you know."

We kept running.

"I just thought he was some crazed fan who adopted the real 'Dog Demon's name…" It was more of a mutter, and since we were dashing through the snow so fast, only I heard it.

"Whoa!"

I nearly screeched to a halt when Miroku stopped in front of my way. "Hey!"

There was a very large crowd blocking the entrance. It was a crowd that had suddenly gone out of control, but then had quieted down before we got there. The red carpet leading to the entrance of the resort was now ignored, and nearly everyone was standing on it. The crowd controllers were also just standing there, staring at something inside the entrance. Nobody was bothering to move.

…What the heck?

I kept on staring at the odd scene, and looked at Miroku. "Umm…so what now?"

Miroku shook his head. "I have no idea what's going on."

Kagura pushed passed us with a resolved look. "Let me through! I manage this resort!"

The crowd shuffled, which was quite a lot of movement for a bunch of people that had just been standing there doing absolutely nothing. But it wasn't enough to help make us a pathway.

"Oh never mind." Kagura pushed passed them, lightly kicking on a few people's ankle, and shoving away another few bunch of girls. Miroku defiantly followed her, and I just kept up with their trail. I really didn't want to see what was up.

"Move, I have authority on this ground." Kagura spoke with obvious annoyance in her voice. Suddenly, it was cut off with a gasp.

I didn't want to see what was up. I was extremely sure now.

Miroku stepped to her side to see what was going on, just as we stepped in front of the mob and onto the floor of the wooden building. He, also, stopped in his tracks.

I was so sure I didn't want to see what was up…

I nearly tripped on someone's foot, and stumbled away from the crowd, Kagura, and Miroku. Right in front of the scene.

I really, _really_ didn't want to see what was up…dang it.

I stared. And stared.

It was two form with each having long sheen of silver behind them. One neatly kept; the other with a ragged lock that gave him a rough nature and attitude. The taller one with a straight posture and high authority around him. Sesshoumaru. The cold golden eyes, staring hard at Inuyasha, his younger, _half_-brother.

Sesshoumaru was truly one of those handsome ones from the movies…

The _Handsome_.

Inuyasha had a very deep frown on his face. Sesshoumaru had the dull look, with just a hint of surprise, on his.

The two half brothers' meeting after years of separation.

No wonder the crowd was astonished and stunned to see this. This would make the front news of any papers and/or magazines.

And no wonder I had the feeling that I didn't want to see this.

I stood there with a horrible feeling in my gut.

Somehow, I just knew, this was going to lead to more trouble.

**- **

**AN: _I WILL NOT, I REPEAT, I WILL NOT BE UPDATING IF YOU'RE GOING TO LEAVE THREATS, OR PROFANITY IN YOUR REVIEWS OR EMAILS_**.

Of course, if it's a humorous review that's only leaving profanity as something insignificant, then yes, I'm _not_ going to count that as something seriously offending.

But if it's directed to me or my story, (like, 'Damn you. Your story is so fucking stupid – it would be so much better if you update more!' or, 'Freaking Christ! I'm going to your house and hack you into million pieces until you update, you stinking idiot! I want an update, and I'm going to kill you if you wait any longer!'), I will report you and have you banned from fanfiction.

Joking threats and profanity is something I _don't_ mind (like, 'Hurry and update, because I'm going to set my flying baboons on you!' or, 'Personality #1: Hurry and updated you freaking – Personality #2: Don't you dare say it!'). The mild 'threats' and 'cussing' in there are perfectly fitting to be thought as funny, so I'll only enjoy reading that.

Now, if the threat involves serious profanity then that's tiptoeing over the line, and will involve one more day to wait for an update. Meaning if you leave a shameful review that you know will look very offending to the author, then you'll force everyone else to wait another full day for an update.

Also, the people at fanfiction will know this too.

Ahem. Thank you.

…

Now that I got that over me, I'm just going to have some Homemade Lemon Cookies. See ya all in my next update! (18 pages for a chapter on Microsoft Word! What was I thinking?)


	17. Twisted Little Ends

-

Within light shall the simple undoing arise.

As simple as hate; to deceive and despise.

-

Why be so sad?

When they are so mad?

Power they hunger,

Life they torture.

Those so blind,

Never shall find…

-

It's really odd.

Everyone just keeps staring. They aren't doing anything, and it's getting pretty awkward. But the electricity between the siblings isn't so easy to miss. It's pretty intense in the lobby, and my knees start to loose their feelings.

But for some twisted reason, these verses of poetry pops into my head. Why? Why did I remember something like this?

Would one really remember some depressing poems written by a psycho; two of the many, many originals in a set of dark poetries. I don't think so… Heck, I didn't even like the book. I only skimmed it during the ride from Hawaii to Canada. Speaking of the devil – why did Inuyasha have some odd black book in his luggage? Curiosity was bound to turn on when he leaves his sport bag unattended.

Of course, those poetries didn't come to my mind during the whole 'brotherly moment'.

Footsteps…

Later on, I found out Ayame had just practically _sensed_ the uneasiness from the Great Hall. Of course, her echoing footsteps had immediately stopped when she spotted me, staring at the two canine brothers.

Then, to all of our nervous relief, Kagura stepped in.

She quietly cleared her throat and walked away from Miroku's side. "Kagome."

I turned to look up. She was taller, and her whisper was unmistakably audible in this ice cold silence. "Huh?"

"Go to the front desk. Knock on the door behind the receptionists' desks three times. Tell the girls behind the door that the guest of honor's here."

I blinked. "What? But –"

"The girls' are probably reading magazine, or watching TV, but they won't ignore you if you repeat what I just said." She then promptly walked away to the elevators, probably going to see if the room was ready for the big brother.

I stood there for a minute. Then I grudgingly started to walk towards the receptionists' desks. My face was tinted a little red, I was sure.

For some reason, I felt like I was being used. I mean, Kagura just ordered me to do her bidding. Very annoying…and it wasn't like an order you can spit at – it was an order by a friend. Or was she my friend…?

I reached the desks. I walk behind to the door, and knock on it like Kagura told me to.

One, two, three.

"Yes?" A girl – brunette haired girl with honey colored pupils – answered the door. The girls behind her were watching TV, and reading magazines. "Can I help you?" She was polite. She was _supposed_ to be polite.

"Umm…Kagura said to tell you the guest of honor's here…yeah…" I felt so dumb saying that. I felt like a servant.

"Kagura?" The girl's eyes widened. Her small plastered smile became a true grin. "Guest of honor?" She turned around, but it was unneeded. The other girls had already heard her. And speaking of the girls…why were all the receptionists all females? Maybe the resort's trends…all the patrollers in the ski lanes were males. So I guess that evened it out.

It was a good thing I decided to step aside. A split second later, there was a herd of raging females rushing towards the front doors with their resort equipments, ready to face their idol.

The wonders of raging hormones.

That was when I saw it. After I saw the girls run out in orderly fashion (as weird as that may sound) I looked into the room – you know, just out of pure curiosity and instinct. I see the book.

_Poetry of the Shadowed Souls_.

What Inuyasha had in his bag. Page 278 – Chapter…well, I didn't remember that much, but I can tell you that was exactly the moment when the flashback happened. It's those little things you'll automatically store in the back of your head for no reason at all. But…for some reason, I know there's more to that particular page. If I hadn't only skimmed it…then I would know what's…

So I shake my head and start to follow the girls. Then…

This is happening too often now.

I spot something out of the corner of my eyes.

There's a huge mirror near the hallway leading to the elevators. It's directed towards the swinging doors. And there's a few forms moving there. Struggling.

Let's do a recount here.

I was in the lobby area with Inuyasha and Miroku close to hand. Ayame was chasing around poor ole' Kouga for answers. That leaves Sango.

And she's in the mirror. Struggling in the hands of the shady men.

**Get A Life!**

_Twisted Little Ends_

By: Double S

_"Miroku! **Miroku!!!** Ahh-! **Miroku!!!**" _

It's funny…I guess. Yelling at the top of my lungs like that. Screaming my heart out when it's deadly silent, so everything seems more embarrassing.

Miroku turns his head to see me in hysterical panic. "Mm?"

The receptionists are literally all over Sesshoumaru. Inuyasha's to the side, leaning on the wall glaring at the scene. Some girls are asking for his autograph, but he's totally ignoring them. It's mass hysteria.

"What?" Miroku asks me while I'm taking in the scene.

**"Miroku!!!" **I yell again, just so I could stop shaking in fear. I hate acting like a coward. "Miroku! Sango! They…they – Sango!!!" I can't explain properly. My legs' going numb.

"What? What are you talking about?" Miroku looks around, seeing we're attracting so many eyes. Oh man, I must be such a psycho. Sesshoumaru's looking…crud.

"They…they got her!" I try to tell in a saner manner. Apparently, it doesn't exactly make since.

"…are you talking about some soap opera?" He smiles nervously at some passing girls. They giggle.

So I yell again. Extremely loud this time. **_"THEY _****_GOT_****_ SANGO _****_AND_****_ THEY'RE GOING TO RAPE HER!!! RAPE! RAPE-!!! _****_GOT_** **_GET_****_ THE POLICE! RRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAPPPPEEEEE-!!!"_** And this time, it actually works. Miroku's gone in a flash, and some people are rushing to the phone booth, others taking out their cell phone. There's still a few who's pointing at me and saying how they shouldn't listen to some weird child. Well hell with them.

I stand there, a bit stupidly, trying to catch my breath. Then I follow Miroku. He's running towards the hallway I was waving my fingers at.

"Miroku! They're at the swinging doors!" He changes direction so fast I nearly crash into a wall.

He goes right through the swinging doors, not even flinching on the impact, while the doors shudder wildly and hits me in return. I rub my head and follow him. It's the kitchen. Restricted area.

Some chefs are yelling at Miroku.

"Excuse me?" I desperately tug at a passing chef. His hat's stained in pink.

"Yes miss?" He looks a bit annoyed, but restrains his emotions. He has a light French accent.

"Did any shady bunch of figures burst in here dragging a girl?"

"Why yes! They jump in and bump into me, like I'm some wandering sheep, and ruining my strawberry pudding! I'm covered in pudding!" He starts cussing in French and walks away. I follow Miroku, who's now near the other side of the crowded kitchen, and opening a screen door.

When I catch up to him, I hear a loud 'whack' and a dull thud. I shove open the screen door to stumble out into the open again. It's snowing. Miroku's lying face first on the cement, and I heard a very loud screech. There's a huge van. Black van. It's backing out – hits a motorcycle over – does a U-turn – hits the limo (that's going to leave a dent) – then, it's rampaging directly towards the unconscious Miroku. It was going to run him over.

It was all on instinct. I grab Miroku's wrist. Then I feel two arms encircling my waist, and I'm pulled back to the screen door. Silver hair's on my shoulder. Inuyasha. My grasp on Miroku's wrist tightens as Inuyasha falls on his back from the intensity of the pull, and I fall on top of him. Miroku's left leg misses the insane tires by just two inches.

But the most shocking revelation is Miroku.

He's still conscious.

"C-crud." He stutters. "Stun…gun…"

"Miroku!" Inuyasha calls from behind my shoulder. "Where's San–?" Inuyasha's immediately cut off.

"I should've never left Sango alone in the hallway!" Then, he speeds off. To the fallen motorcycle.

Duh!

"Miroku, get back here! No! Miroku!" He, obviously, doesn't listen.

He grabs the helmet, pulls the motorcycle up, and starts up the engine with the conveniently forgotten key to the ignition. (Oh great.) He does this all in a matter of seconds.

"Miroku!" Inuyasha and I call at the same time, but to no avail. Miroku rides off after the screeching van.

-

"Oh crud." Ayame cried out again. Kouga genuinely cringed. "What about you? Anything?"

"Shit." Inuyasha growled, doing it more quietly so. "Nothing here either."

I grinded the towel between my hands, my bottom lip suffering under my teeth until it was white with numbness. I promptly winced. So I settled the wet rag back on my nicked wrist. Thanks to Inuyasha, who just had to roughly pull me back from the van, there were a few cuts on my right wrist and elbow. They're light, but they were still a fresh wound.

Ayame shut her cell phone off, followed after by Inuyasha, and sat on the couch across from Kouga. He, yet again, cringed. "Damn it. Miroku's not responding, and Sango probablycan't even _reach _her cell phone…if she hadn't lost it or something."

"What about the bike? Won't the police get suspicious or something?" I echoed what was probably in Kouga's mind, seeing that pale look on his face.

We were all in the hotel room, Kagura, with her little 'team', trying to calm all that riot going on in the lobby. It was mostly by my call of 'rape', but some of the Fluffy-fans were a bit too crazy for their own good.

"That secretary-friend of yours – Kagura was it? – she's trying to hush it all up. Saying it was some whacko trying to help Sesshoumaru get away from the fans."

"Oh goody."

"Not good." Ayame continued. "Miroku's still gone with someone's motorcycle."

"It's Naraku's."

"Huh?" The three of us snapped up at Inuyasha, the only one of us still standing.

"The motorcycle – it's Naraku's goons'. There's no worry about who owns it."

I instantly narrowed my eyes. So…something from his past's experience?

"How did you know?" Ayame asked out of curiosity, I say.

"The side of the motorcycle. It had a large emblem of a spider. It's hard to miss."

"Unless you have sharp eyes." I said quietly, so no one else in the room would hear. But there was one thing that was **still **bothering me. Those poems I have stuck in my head. What the heck were they doing in my head…? Usually, in mystery novels, the thing that stays in your head is the number one clue…or that's how I remember it. Hmm…

Then, all of a sudden in a spontaneous manner, I was behind a couch, prepared for the start of a nuclear war, Kouga was on the floor, his feet still on the couch, Ayame was sprawled under a kitchen desk a few feet away, her hands ready to reach for the telephone, and Inuyasha had pounced towards the window, as if ready to jump out.

…hey! When two of your friends are missing and you suddenly get a knock on your _private_ presidential suite, and might I mention during a very deep and secretive conversation, you tend to act a little bit more…jumpy.

"Room service." Kagura said in a very sarcastic, and overly high, voice that didn't help slow our horribly beating hearts. When she saw how we were in our panicked position, she blinked, regained her composure, blew a low whistle, and promptly began to go through our rooms, coming out with dirty towels and such.

"Umm…" Ayame squeaked from under the desk. Bad move.

Kagura, who didn't know that Ayame was there, yelled in surprise, which in turn made Ayame screech and pop her head back under the table, which made the rest of us defensive again.

"Oh dear lord…just what are you…" Kagura gave a pause, and exasperatedly sighed. She began gathering the towels from the floor.

Ayame tried again. "Umm…I thought secretaries didn't do…what you're doing right now…" Ayame should know, right?

"Mm…we can't exactly trust the routine room service to go around as usual at this moment." Short, yet detailed.

"Oh."

Something was a miss though. Kagura just barges in here without saying sorry and all. Wouldn't she blow her cover or something?

Then something else happened.

While Kagura was picking up the last towel, she looks up as if to see her hairdo was fine, and makes a direct eye contact with Inuyasha. He's leaning on the window casually. Which just makes it weird, because the windows are ice cold.

This all happens in a flash, but I'm sure it happened. Because when there's a direct eye contact, it's like seeing a connection. No, not a love click…not that I would care, but Kagura's too sophisticated for Inuyasha. It's a relativity connection. Like old friends – or old acquaintances – or even old partners.

Neither Kouga nor Ayame noticed this split-second 'click'. Only I did.

And after that Kagura leaves. Just shuts the door behind her.

…sleuthing. The word comes to mind before I can ever comprehend what happened.

Whatever those two are keeping from me, I'm going to find out – one way or another.

-

The good thing is, when you're walking to the hospital wing, it's not that suspicious. The bad news is, in a situation like this, you have to have a reason. A good reason.

It was nearly dinnertime when I devised to sneak out of my room. Obviously, we had our dinner brought to our room.

"So, Sesshoumaru's eating a few rooms down our hallway, eh?"

That one comment, that single sentence, brought our entire room to a halt. Dead silence. More strained than how it had been earlier in the room.

Inuyasha and Kouga had been talking out how they were going to find Miroku. Inuyasha wanted to go and 'knock the hell out of those scums'. Kouga wanted to 'get those fucking bastards and send them to hell'. Sadly, none of us knew where they were, so they could only guess what we were going to do.

Ayame and I were both talking about what the heck the goons were going to do to Sango, and if Miroku had gotten her yet, when I just so randomly brought this up.

"Kagome – keep it down!" Ayame said this a microsecond too late. When you're trying to keep this little piece of information from a certain 'dog demon', you have to be very hush, hush about it.

Oops.

"Sesshoumaru's here?!" Inuyasha yelled, pushing his tray of gourmet dinner on the floor. "You said he was moved to another resort after what happened!" He accusingly pointed his finger at Kouga.

Kouga looked to his left. Then looked to his right. Then said, "Well…I was misinformed then."

The next thing that happened was too classic.

See Inuyasha fume.

See Inuyasha yell.

See Inuyasha stomp in rage.

Now Kouga's on top of Inuyasha (or more on Inuyasha's back) trying to hold him still, and Inuyasha's struggling to the door, trying to do everything in his strength to break his obstacle. Ayame was panicking.

"Guys, stop it!"

"Ayame, stop Inuyasha from getting close to the door."

"But –"

"Just do it!" I yelled. I was so evil…

She groaned and ran towards the struggling twosome. As I suspected, Kouga froze when he saw Ayame approaching them.

Inuyasha took the opportunity to swing Kouga off his back, and pounce for the doors.

What I didn't expect, as well as Kouga and Inuyasha, that Ayame would actually give an American Hooligan Football Tackle. But it was actually better than planned.

Ayame landed right on Inuyasha, who by which tripped on Kouga's outstretched leg, and landed right on the carpeted (thank lord) floor. Kouga was now groaning about his bruised shin, and Ayame was close to unconsciousness.

Now or never. I slipped out the door before anyone noticed.

It was pretty easy from then on. Get on the elevator, hum with the music, get out, and stroll towards the hospital wing. Of course, I had to watch out for Kagura. Right now, she wasn't a friend or an enemy – but an obstacle. If I let her see me, it would make me look suspicious.

And that was a certain no-no.

I passed some foreign tourists, and looked around a corner. I tried not looking odd by pretending to look for door signs – like I was lost.

I stopped doing that when a secretary, one with greased hair tied to a bun, asked if she could help. Guess I can still manage to look like I was a lost 10 year old.

The hospital wing. No one was there; I gave a sigh of relief.

But if Kagura had already been here, then all this sleuthing would go to waste.

I made my way towards the left bed, and leaned down. I felt for the solid object, and my fingers touched a cold metal case. Kagura had been too busy with her secretary work.

I pulled on the First-Aid Kit and traced my finger on the lid line. It was locked, and it looked like it hadn't been opened. I pressed on the edge. Click.

Okay; what do you usually find in a box?

Scissors…

Bandages…

Some gauze…

In this one? Well…let's see. A scissor. A gauze. A bandage packet. Oh what the…okay, after I pull out all those insignificant items, I feel the bottom of the kit. But it moves, like it's a loose cover holding the upper part of the case up. Like a lunchbox. So I pull everything else out of the box and take the fake bottom off the sides of the metal.

A gun…

And quite a lot of letters.

…so I take a letter from the piles. It's a scribble…or so I think. I remember an English class I took back in Japan. They wanted us to be sure we knew the adjectives and nouns, so they wrote the words backwards and mark the nouns. Sort of pointless, but now I didn't regret actually paying attention in class.

Someone must have taken a mirror, and written the words in the opposite way. Either the person had been ambidextrous, or he/she was just plain smart.

Then I heard what made me nearly drop the whole kit on the floor.

Voices.

"Why do you want to come here?" It was the same voice as the secretary that asked me if I needed help.

"Hey, I should at least check the place. Be happy the police didn't hear about what happened today." Kagura. She was trying to check on her…well, her items.

I quickly shuffled everything inside the box – unorganized as possibly imaginable.

Breathing heavily and my heart racing as if in a marathon, I stuffed everything in – except for a handful of papers from the pile of them. Would she really notice if three were missing? …my subconscious guess was yes.

At the very last moment, I ducked towards the corner of a wall, between the shaded windows and the bed. Hopefully, Kagura wouldn't step into the room to specifically check on that particular spot. Other than that, I was good as invisible.

"Nothing out of place here." The other secretary hardly gave a glance, and started yanking on the older girl's sleeve. "Now c'mon, we're supposed to get the dinner up for Sesshoumaru."

Kagura, who had been busy looking from corner to corner of the room, deeply frowned and glared coldly at her companion. "You mean his food's still in the kitchen?"

"Well, yeah. It took a while making sure we used the finest quality of food…and the refrigerator sort of broke. So we had to re-buy most of the food for all the guests…"

"Oh Jesus." She practically spat out the word.

The other woman flinched.

"What were you thinking?" Kagura looked back at the bed (where the first-aid kit was supposed to be under) and sighed. If she was alone, she surely would've done a more stern check.

I didn't realize I had been holding my breath until the two left.

I quietly checked to see that I was truly alone, and stepped out of my hiding spot. I couldn't go out into the hallway now. I might be seen. So I quickly went to the door, locked it, and stepped forth to the bathroom.

The mirror.

I slowly inched the paper towards the reflective wall of glass. It was working. From the mirror, I could read the backward-written sentences from the paper. It was common sense.

This one was written in pencil, and it looked a bit old with the aged wrinkles.

_Do you think you can get away, Kagura? You're always being watched. You think you can get away from me? I'm family – I always know where you are. _

…my heart was beating extremely fast. It was like I had this annoying feeling…a feeling of being watched. I turned around – made sure the door was locked one more time, and went back to the ominous letter.

_Don't think such an insignificant thing such as a Witness Program can save you. Crystal Yang? Do you think a little change of name and some makeover can truly protect you? Not to make this more obvious than it already is; I want to let you get a heads up on this. _

**_You're on the list. _**

**_N _**

N…Naraku. N for Naraku.

This was a threat note. N stood for Naraku.

My mind was in a jumble. It was impossible for a girl to understand such a crucial situation like this. I dropped the paper and picked another one from the bathroom counter.

Another 'N' at the bottom. This seemed to be in the vicinity of the age of the first letter. Old and crinkled.

_Two of a kind, don't you agree. Who would've ever thought you would join forces with my old friend? Really…you would do that much research to find someone to help you? To help you get away from me? It's quite entertaining. You would hide from me – you would even hide from the police. This list has all the names that ever went up against me. I know what you're doing. I'm on to you. A cat and mouse scenario. I'm the cat. Guess which one you are. _

**_N _**

This one left me even more confused. It wasn't making much sense, but I knew this might happen from the moment I decided to read this.

I picked up the third one. It didn't have a 'N' this time. And the paper looked brand new too. The words were typed.

_To: Onigumo Kagura _

_It's been a while. How's the maze going? I'm sure you're right under my whiskers by now. But seeing as you know how patient I am, I'd rather see you quiver in fear, mm? It's so enjoying to see a person struggle…how's everything going with you and Inuyasha – I've been tracing your calls for a while, but you must have guessed that. Seeing as the bug's been giving nothing but practically dead signals. Using cell phones? Sending anonymous letters to each other? Well, running to see if the other might get useful information on me isn't very resourceful, now is it? I already know about your little group. Your traitorous group that would even have the idea to go up against me, when I used to be like a god to be worshipped by all you peasants. Oh, it's so amusing. You have to face it. You're loosing. I've chased down practically 95 of your 'society'. The game's dying down, my dear. _

_It also seems like Inuyasha's been forced to drag his friends along too. New members? _

_More the merrier. _

_This letter was specified from the following individual: Onigumo Naraku_

…this guy was sick…

But then the part about Inuyasha caught my eyes. I frowned so deep my eyes were slits. I reread and re-reread the whole thing before it all seemed to sink in.

I guess Inuyasha was hiding something deep. Deeper than what I first suspected.

-

Tip-toeing. It's relatively easy when you're doing that on the carpet. It's even easier when it's during the middle of the night.

I poked my head in through the door. Pitch darkness. I guessed no one was in the room, seeing as my rattle of keys fitting the hole wasn't followed by anything.

I turned the lights on.

There was a note on the coffee table.

It read;

_Kagome, _

_Where the heck are you? Inuyasha's demanding to see his brother. I don't know why he's so furious, but he's red in the face. Really red. He got completely exhausted by it. So I went to fetch him some water. Than he just rammed the door open then stormed to his brother's room. I'm going to follow. _

_Hope this takes short… _

_Ayame _

Obviously they were still sorting their problems out in Sesshoumaru's room. Bingo – perfect timing. Yup, no remorse for what I practically caused today.

I tip-toed towards Inuyasha's room. I didn't know why I tip-toed. Maybe Ayame was still around, aiming a spear at me or something. Maybe the note was fake.

My imagination was taking toll.

There were absolutely no sounds as I ever-so gently pushed the door open. Not locked. Ha, ha – sucker.

Inuyasha's blue sports bag was right on the bed. Perfect. He didn't bother unpacking everything in his room. Then…

I rummaged through the contents until I came upon what I had been wondering about the whole day.

The poetry book.

Okay…now, what page was it…

I groaned. Shoot, when I actually had the book, I forget the page number. Typical memory workout for ya.

_Beep-! _

My heart skips a beat. I promptly begin to hiccup because of it. It's Inuyasha's cell phone. But it was a black one. Not the silver one I always saw him use. It was also beeping in the YMCA tune…

I picked it up. The number was unknown. I bit my bottom lip, and pressed the big red button. The worst could be some kind of old girlfriend trying to get to Inuyasha by his private number. Or that's what I wished for.

Instead, it's a voice. Computerized voice. Using one of those toy voice changers. And the voice only says four words;

_They're at the tube. _

Then a click.

…was that just.

…

I turn the phone off.

What did I feel right now? Ashamed, shocked, betrayed even?

None of the above, that's what. I felt…relieved…and…confused?

Inuyasha. Now I understood. Inuyasha had betrayed Naraku. For what, I have no idea. But by the sound of it, a lot of people did. And a lot of them were dead. Kagura and Inuyasha were one of the few left. So…

Inuyasha…he really was trying to protect us by not letting in on the secret.

Even Kagura acted like she didn't know Inuyasha (again, with the good acting). She and Inuyasha had known about each other's problems for…years, maybe.

I dropped the cell phone. I rubbed my face.

They had set up something. Like their own Witness program. But it was unknown by the police. Is this why Kagura's also hiding from the police?

I didn't need to see the callback id. It would probably be untraceable – maybe even lead to a gasoline station's telephone booth. And somewhere in the memory bank, Kagura and all the rest of the people's numbers would be stored. Members from the 'traitorous organization', dead or alive.

At first, I was confused about Inuyasha.

Next I was angry. Betrayed.

Now I was even more confused.

Doh…

That person on the phone…they were definitely talking about Sango…and Miroku.

Everyone was off to sort things out with the brothers. Sure wish I was with them.

But my curiosity…I looked back at the poetry book. I randomly clasped my nails into one of the pages, and flipped the book open. A few pages parted to reveal the center binding of the dark novel.

There it was. The two poetries.

And now I knew why I remembered them so well.

There were little written page numbers next to the verses. So I left my index finger on the page, and flipped to the back of the book. Index page.

I stopped. Immediately.

As I got to the index page, I began to notice a patterns of holes cut into the middle of the pages. It made a perfect hole in the book, easily unseen by an unsuspecting pair of eyes. They were the width of your thumb.

Inside them were small packages. About 4 small pinky sized packages.

…white stuff.

White out?

Chalk dusts?

…no.

Cocaine.

And a small piece of paper with the 4 packages.

A paper with the word – _'Quit'_.

Quit…

I lost all feelings in my ankle joints. Then my shin. Then my knee.

I found my self sinking to the floor.

So many loose ends…

And they just kept on twisting out of my reach…

**AN: **Horrible author's block and terrible weekly schedule for my SAT. Ahhhhhhh! Oh, and next chapter – _X Marks Everything Baby_


	18. X Marks Everything Baby

I wasn't really sure what I found in Inuyasha's room, or the letters enclosed to Kagura, actually meant, or how it affected the situation with Sango and Miroku's disappearance. But I knew I had to keep it a secret until I fully understood everything. Great. More secrets to ponder about.

I made my way down the hallway, fully aware of how much trouble I could get into if someone found out that all the 'evidence' I found that day, was hidden away in my sports bag. Not the best place to hide something so crucial, but what can you do in a hotel?

**Bam! **

_Wang- _

"Ahhhh!" I ducked in panic a little too late as a chair just missed my nose by centimeters. I watched as the metal chair clanged noisily. This was the suite floor, which meant no one else was in the hallway except me and the others…who were in Sesshoumaru's room!

I poked my head from the open door. I stepped away when a pillow flew out, much like in the same fashion as how the chair was thrown out.

Then a heavy grunt seemed to bounce off the walls. And…thuds…and…

"Fuck you!"

…well, what a surprise. The Dog boy…

For some reason, my heart skips a beat when his smirking image flashes into my mind. Oh no, I'm not turning into a crazed fan. It's the thought of his huge secret. And the amusement of him throwing stuff around with his brother circling him, I guess.

I braved the pain I would most likely feel, and stood up at the doorway.

Needless to say, it was a sight to behold.

In short description, it was like a room where someone was fighting with Jackie Chan.

There was Inuyasha. The man throwing vases and throwing punches at the same time. How he does it, I do not know. There was Sesshoumaru. The man tiredly dodging the attacks. And then there were the threesome; Kagura sighing and trying to tell the receptionists to stay and catch the flying objects, while Ayame was grabbing for the plates and the silverware, and Kouga was trying to stop the fight between the brothers. It wasn't going well.

"You cruddy bastard." Inuyasha threw his punches.

"No skill, no tactics."

"Shut the hell up and jump out the window already!" Inuyasha threw the cushions.

"Unrefined and undignified."

Sesshoumaru kept dodging…Inuyasha kept attacking…the endless circle of idiocy. Dear Kami help us all.

_-Beep- _

What a bad time for a call.

"Yeah?" I answered my cell phone hoping it wasn't some prank call.

_"We have them." _

"What?!"

_"We have –" _

"No, wait; hold on, I still can't hear you! Wait, did you just say 'you have _them_'? Oh god – don't hang up! Ahh!" I ducked as a rogue vase went over my head and smashed onto the wall behind me. That's a lot of shards…

_"Are you going to hang up, or do you want to hear your friends?" _

"Wait, no! Don't hang up! Wait!" I pulled the phone away and furiously waved my free hand. "Inuyasha!" It was a loud hiss…which was weird. I needed to get his attention, but this was supposed to be a secret between the people that already knew. With Sesshoumaru and the other secretaries around here, I couldn't risk the danger…but how could I get his attention?!

They were all too busy to hear me. Kouga, Ayame, even Kagura. Man…

"Oh god, don't hang up!" I yelled at the phone as I held my other ear and started into the commotion.

_"They're at the Snow Tube Slope. Bring the powder and HK if you don't want to see blood on the snow." _

"…wait, what?"

_"Oh fuck, I'm not going to repeat –" _

"I'm sorry, okay? You called at a really bad tiiiiiyaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!" I hopped away when the two brothers nearly crashed into me. Of course, there was a reason for me screaming out in pure pain. See, my nose was left unscathed yet again, but my toes paid the price of being stepped on by two dog brothers.

And it sure raised my temper.

"You #$&-$#-!!!" That got Ayame's attention, since I heard some dishes crashing to the floor, and Kouga was by the door just staring. But I wasn't done.

"#$&-()++-!#&$-&(+(!$-&)#!U-)+(!$&(+!#$&-()+!!!"

I was pretty much out of breath by the time I was done. And it could've been me, but I heard a distinct, 'whoa' from the phone, and a very small and short snicker from Kagura. Everyone just stayed plain silent.

Except for…

"Hmm…" The oh-so-'great' Sesshoumaru actually bothered looking at me. "Your wench Inuyasha? How long do you plan to keep this one? A week? Or have you already had your use with her?"

…okay, now I was really, _really_ mad.

"You –"

"Shut it!" Inuyasha jumped in front of me. "Get out of here. This is between him and –"

"No, YOU shut it you butt-cheek!" I grabbed his forelock with my hand that wasn't holding the nearly crushed cell phone, and actually, not to mention so freakishly and oddly, gave my best head-butt. And my worst one too. (Just picture my head crashing into his.)

"Ow…" Inuyasha and I dazedly said when a loud 'bo-i-ng' sound echoed around the room. Or maybe it was in my head. Umm…

"Nice bitch, Inuyasha." Sesshoumaru, showing off his skill, practically glided to the back of Inuyasha, and swiftly pushed him onto me. It happened so fast and hard, Inuyasha couldn't help but fall on top of me, though not before we stumbled out onto the hallway.

"Oomph!"

"Fuck."

I looked up at Inuyasha. He was on top of me. ON TOP OF ME! That's just wrong. Oh so very wrong. And he gave me this…well, this freaky look when he realized he was on top of me. It wasn't the smirking one, or the…umm…seducing one? I don't know…but it was this, this blank look. Not a dumb look. But a look that said – well? Where do you want to go from here?

Nevertheless, it was disturbing. Extremely, disturbing.

"Having a quality time with your girl?"

I was beginning to dislike (more like hate) Sesshoumaru even more. He might be cool, apathetic, and…I'm not sure about the handsome one, but he was still as annoying as Inuyasha. (I tell you, the family genes are strong these days.) Really; he's not blunt like Inuyasha, but he could be annoying with his cool attitude. It's the dog family. And I was a cat lover. Deadly combination.

(Although millions already loved the two brothers. But like I said, this was just me.)

"You freaking –" Inuyasha, finally, snapped out of his 'daze', and looked like he was about to pounce on his brother. I took the chance and saw it was time for me to step between this brotherly routine.

Outstretching my legs, I kicked the door with a mighty grunt and right onto Sesshoumaru's face. Score one for the cats. Though Inuyasha was still on top of me…

A silence followed after that.

"Hey!" Inuyasha growled. "I was going to do that!"

…didn't like the sound of that, I tell you.

"Yeah right." I mumbled. "But no, really! There's a man on this phone and he said he got Miroku and Sango!"

"What?!" Fish, line and hook. Or whatever they called it…

Inuyasha took the phone out of my hand and scooted off of me. (Finally.) "Hey? Hey, you still there! Bastard!" Inuyasha yelled at the phone. I edged closer and settled my ear next to his.

A few seconds went by.

"Hey, you still there?!" Inuyasha yelled. My ears were starting to ring.

"Did he already hung –"

_"Fuck." _

I gave a short yet loud shriek when a reply answered from the other line, and Inuyasha nearly dived away from my vocal cord.

We composed ourselves a few seconds later. "Don't yell!" Inuyasha hissed before we listened to the phone. I simply ignored him.

"Why didn't you answer earlier?!"

_"You didn't answer me before." _

"That was a different –"

"Where are Miroku and Sango?!" Inuyasha interrupted me.

We were then answered by muffled voices. Muffled, gagged and struggling voices. Miroku and Sango.

"Miroku!" I yelled simultaneously with Inuyasha. "Sango!"

_"If you want to see them again, come to the Snow Tube – be quiet – bring the drugs – hey! Stay there! Bring heraaow! Damn you! Get off of…fuck. Bring HK, that girl, too. " _

Then…

_"Don't!" _It was Miroku. He seemed have freed himself from the gag. _"It's a trap! Don't –"_

_"Shut up!"_ Then there was a sickening bang, a thud, a muffled cry, and a click. Interesting combination of sounds…

Inuyasha and I stared at the phone, fully knowing what had just happened. The phone was beeping. The man had hung up, and Miroku was unconscious.

"Miroku…" Inuyasha hissed, anger evident. "Sango…"

…Her? Wait, the man wanted _her _and the cocaine…what the heck? Did Inuyasha hide a girl inside his sports bag too? But it made sense now. He was running because he stole some cocaine…or maybe I was hoping he –

"So, you were hiding something from me, little brother?"

Inuyasha and I turned around, finding the door wide open to reveal Kagura, Sesshoumaru, Ayame, and Kouga, with the rest of the secretaries staring at us.

"…" Inuyasha and I slapped our foreheads at the same time. "Crud."

**Get A Life!**

_X Marks Everything Baby_

By: Double S

"So…is the conference over?"

Kouga looked up as Ayame sarcastically remarked when he stepped out of the room. He had left Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru in there. Alone. Uh-oh.

"Well…" He hesitantly started. "Inuyasha told me everything he would say in front of Sesshoumaru."

"Why does Sesshoumaru want to know anything about Inuyasha?" I leaned from the couch. "They practically hate each other. Why bother learning what the other's been up to during the past few years?"

"That's something I can't figure out." Kouga shrugged. "Must be something about their father."

…father?

"So c'mon? What's going on with Inuyasha and the phone call?" Ayame insisted, not caring about this new 'father' issue that just got added to my growing 'things-to-further-sleuth-into' list.

"Okay…it turns out he was right about this, 'gang' business…except he didn't explain it well. Naraku's some sort of a Yakuza mastermind, and he was making some sort of drug, but with different substances. I didn't quite catch it, but I think Inuyasha said…err…easier to make and more 'effective'? Something like that. Anyway, he stole a sample of it, and ran from Naraku. The problem is, he has the sample and Naraku definitely wants him dead…yet if he hands it to the authority, they'll bust him and ruin his reputation. Sort of twisted if you ask me."

"Well we didn't." Ayame eyed him and he twitched.

…liar. Inuyasha was lying. Well, I'm sure the cocaine part was true. But there was so much the story didn't explain. What of Kikyou, for instance? She just turned up with Inuyasha on the front step, and she's presumably the fox. I wasn't sure anymore. Kikyou just popped in my head…

And Sesshoumaru. Major family problem that had to be private, but I just had to look into. Dear lord, my head's hurting from all this secretive planning…

Speaking of issues…

I just had to. I couldn't resist.

I went up to the closed door and placed a cup I grabbed from the kitchen on it. Just couldn't resist.

Ayame came up. "What do you hear?" I guess she was curious as I was.

_"– so Rin's left with Jaken and the servants. As much as I'm concerned, she has no idea." _

_"Well, at least we can be sure no one else are in on this little charade." _

_"Kagura's convincing the secretaries everything's normal, then?" _

_"Yeah. But she can't keep on lying forever. Someone's going to call the cop some time." _

I stepped back. "They're not saying anything important." A total LIE. "But they're acting like…like…brothers."

"…normal brothers?" Kouga and Ayame said in unison.

"Ye-ahhhhh!!!" I threw the cup at Kouga and ducked behind the now opening door. Kouga fumbled with the cup and panicked as a chair flew at him. Ayame turned and shrieked as a pillow flew at her. It was extremely hilarious.

The look of fear on her face.

The pillow flying onto her face.

…then the pillow flying past her face.

Wait, what?

Replay; the pillow plows into her face, and then it explodes into millions of white feathers flying all over the room. Feather wonderland!!!

"Fuck you!" Inuyasha yells and kicks the door behind him as he appears. I'm guessing he just got into a millisecond-long brawl with his brother. Ha…

"Thanks." Ayame coughs. "Thanks a whole bunch." She smiles all peppy like, and trounces off to the bathroom.

Kouga stays put on the ground, sitting there and fiddling with the glass cup behind his back. "So err…couldn't keep your hands away from each other, huh?"

"Shut up." Inuyasha growled furiously. He was good. Actually, they were all good actresses/actors. Kagura, Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru…

I went over to the bathroom and took Ayame by the wrist as Kouga started to 'calm' Inuyasha down.

"What are you –"

"Have you noticed anything strange going on? Other than the whole…kidnapping thing." It was time to let someone in on all the secrets.

"Well, yeah with Inuyasha and his brother…"

"But that's not even ¼ of the problem."

"Can we talk after I get out of my pajamas? It just doesn't feel right…" She pried some feathers loose form her hair.

"Oh fine, but make it quick. I'm going to have to leave a lot of details out if we want to get to the Snow Tube Lane."

"Why are we going to –"

"Just get dressed."

So (after Ayame changed out of her PJ and we settled down in my room) I told her everything. From the cocaine to Kagura and Inuyasha's momentary glance. Even about the letters in Kagura's first aid kit.

"– and even on the phone call, it said to bring the drugs. And…" That's when I remembered it. "…HK…"

"HK?" Ayame got the gist. "Higurashi Kagome? You?"

"…I don't…well, I'm not really…" I shook my head. "But that's not important. It's probably something…" Then I remembered the man on the phone said something about bringing a girl… "Okay, probably some other girl…but…"

"Err…ladies?" There was a soft knock.

Ayame answered. "Kouga, if you're going to knock would you knock louder; so we'll know it's not a mice scattering around?"

There was a pause. "Inuyasha went out to find Miroku and Sango."

**"What?!"**

-

Cold. Cold and dark. Not to mention gloomy.

But would I let some dog-boy have all the glory in saving my two companions (not to mention the fact that he was going to meet one of Naraku's goons)?

…

Hell no.

"Inuyasha!"

He never saw it coming as I bombarded onto his back. "AHHHHHHHHH – MFFF!!!" I slapped my gloved hand on his mouth.

"Shush! You'll give our position away!"

The dog grabbed my hand and shoved it off his face. "_Our_ position?!"

We were behind some trees that was directly behind the opening to the Snow Tube Lane. The lamps overlooking the snow looked like tiny stars in the dark sky.

"Hey." Ayame came up with Kouga in tow.

"Shush!" Inuyasha and I forcefully commanded.

"You shush!" Kouga and Ayame retorted.

We didn't even see the giant pack of snow fall from the branches above us. Our heads were now like little snowman heads sticking out of an igloo.

"Fools."

I pushed some snow off of my head. Let me tell you, they were ice cold and hard. Inuyasha, that idiot-of-a-dog, was already out and kicking some snow off his legs.

Kagura, who was leaning against a tree, had a handful of the branch that was now pulled down to our head.

"What was that for?!" Kouga growled as Ayame tried to get her other ponytail out of the snow.

She shook her head and promptly released the branch.

"Ahhh!!!" Three different cries were immediately muffled by another avalanche of snow.

"Do you want to give your spot away or what?" Kagura growled and trotted past them, her white feathers bouncing up and down.

"Ka…gura…" I forced out of my frozen lips.

"Why the hell are you here?" Inuyasha caught up with her fast pace and started chatting like it was okay leaving his other friends in the snow.

"Had to get away from your brother. Creepy eyes…"

"Ah…"

Ayame put a hand on my shoulder before my temper went up any further. "Kagome."

"Eh?"

"Kagura…she's the cousin or something of Naraku's right?" She whispered, making sure Kouga wouldn't hear from behind us.

"Yeah." I nodded. "If she's here, I'm betting Sesshoumaru's coming too."

"Why?"

"C'mon. Their 'brother-rivalry' is a bit conceited, right?"

"True…and dramatic. So, you suspect they're totally faking it with the hatred?"

"Exactly; so if anything, we're going to have one heck of a time tonight."

"…whoopee…"

-

You know, I would've never gone to the slope if I could've helped it. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE Snow tubing. It's the next best thing after…umm…well, it's a great winter entertainment, I suppose. But…let's just say I should've seen it when I saw the first mark.

Or should I say, X?

"What's that?"

Kouga turned to Ayame's fixated finger. "A large piece of paper with a glowing X-mark pinned to a tree…"

I looked ahead at Inuyasha and Kagura. They had walked right past it like they knew…hmm…

"C'mon, let's go. We're nearly at the top."

I followed our hike trail and spotted more papers with a glowing X painted on them. "They're like trail marks."

That was when the mayhem started. Those four words uttered seemed like they had set off a bomb. It was the beginning of the midnight rumble.

"Whoa!" Everyone turned to see Kouga trip on a thin wire tied to a tree, practically invisible to the naked eyes. He's legs were pulled from beneath him, harshly throwing him back and pulling him off of the trails and into the woods.

"Kouga!" Ayame cried before he disappeared into the night.

Silence crept along us.

One down. Four left.

Ayame started to step towards the place Kouga had last been, but immediately paused when Kagura stopped her.

"Don't. They'll probably want us to follow him. We have to keep with the trail."

"But –"

"Just stick together. He'll probably be with Miroku and Sango."

Ayame bit her bottom lip and jogged to Kagura and Inuyasha. I followed.

We continued along, knowing full well that any one of us could end up just like Kouga as seconds followed.

But we were all wrong.

Inuyasha, who had been walking in front of us, stepped into a particularly soft pack of snow. Of course, it took us a moment to understand that it wasn't just any soft snow, but a blanket settled on the edge of a cliff that overlooked the Snow Tube Lane. Not something we planned on.

He was the first to fall into the second trap, then Ayame, Kagura, and me.

Four sets of scream fell on the vertical hill. I'm not exactly sure what happened after that, but I think when Kagura's elbow hit my shoulder, and my foot struck Inuyasha's forehead, it set off a mini avalanche effect.

My head hit a particularly hard spot, which I later found out was Ayame's knee, and started to roll down head first.

Then a thud. I didn't _feel_ it. I _heard_ a bunch of thuds. All I could think about then was feeling the ongoing pain of falling…

It took a few seconds to realize that I had indeed stopped on a mound of snow.

"Ah…" Ayame whimpered next to me. "Ah…ow…"

I looked next to her, and saw that she was sitting up, and holding her left shoulder. "You ok…ah!" I suddenly felt a stinging pain shoot out from my ankles.

"I think I dislocated my should-ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!" Ayame suddenly sled from the edge of the mound and fell even further down the slope, near the shed where they kept the snow tubes.

"Ayame!"

"Shit." Inuyasha pushed some snow off of his head.

"Inuyasha! Look, Ayame's…Ayame…" I stopped. Why?

Because Inuyasha was holding his left thumb…and it was bleeding…a _LOT_.

"Where's Ayame? And Kagura?" Inuyasha hid his left hand and slapped his temple with his other hand, trying to force some snow out of his ear. "Damn it…stuffed in my ear."

"I'm right here." Kagura struggled, her breathing rattled. From her chest to her feet, she was still trapped in the tightly packed snow, and I could see her precarious position didn't help with her lungs.

"Here." Inuyasha reached out with his right hand. "Don't struggle too much. We're still on a shaky mound of snow."

So it could collapse any minute. Which Ayame had found out the hard way.

"Shit, I think I broke my right arm." Kagura winced when she tried to free her arms from the snow.

"Hey!"

Three heads turned to the scream and saw Ayame, now somehow ensnared in a tangle of ropes. "Get away from me!" She continued screaming.

Then, from out of nowhere, there was a loud shot. A very loud, and close shot.

It took me a second to notice that a black whole had appeared right next to my outstretched hand, and a little smear of smoke was rising from it. Inuyasha and Kagura saw it right away.

"Ahh!" I cried as a spray of bullets started to shower us, and instinctively we all tried to duck away.

Bad move for the bad guys.

It took another few bullets to set off a large amount of snow to slide off beneath us. Unlike last time, we were in control of the wave. And we were on top of it. Riding the wave, baby…

A few screams and more bullets later, the snow had cascaded down all the way to the gunmen. They didn't have any time trying to escape from the snow tsunami.

"Wow…" Ayame stood up as everything finally quieted down, still holding her shoulder. "That was kind of cool."

Let's review what happened.

Kouga was missing.

Kagura's right arm was broken.

Ayame's left shoulder was dislocated.

Inuyasha's left thumb was practically torn off.

And both my ankles were twisted in a weird position.

NOT cool.

I saw the little droplets of blood stain the otherwise white snow, and saw that Inuyasha was using both his hands to stand up.

"MFFFFFFFFF!!!"

It was a struggled cry.

Ayame was the first to hear it. "What the–?"

It happened so fast.

There was a loud crash as the shed exploded. Yes. EXPLODED. With a loud boom, to be more insightful. Okay let's backtrack.

As Kagura, Inuyasha, and I heard the struggled cry, Miroku of all people, busted out of the X painted shed door with a large amount of rope hanging off of him. And in tow, Sango was right next to him, flying away from the shed just as a fuse seemed to burst right at that moment.

The shed the two were trapped in, the snow tube shed Ayame was standing right in front of, **_EXPLODED_** into million pieces.

A large flash.

Then it was finished.

I slowly opened my eyes and saw a few flaming tubes lying around. And not to mention a large area of dirt that was as black as coal. But other than that, everything was peachy.

Except…

"Miroku!!!" Inuyasha limped to the two figures on the ground. "Sango!!!"

There they were, groaning and some parts of their clothes burned off, but doing just fine waking up on the scene.

It took a few minutes figuring out where everyone was, and trying to get everyone up (except for me and my twisted ankles) but we assembled our troop just fine.

Kagura held her chest in a mild discomfort, and I was on Inuyasha's back. Yeah…a surprise, but he would have to be my personal wheelchair for now.

And let's just say we were all glad we had been wearing pants instead of skirts.

"Glad to have you guys back." Inuyasha coughed, still some snow stuck in his lungs.

"Huh…? Oh, right." Miroku was still fazed from the big bang.

"Where are Kouga and Ayame?"

Sango's question struck us, as Miroku helped her off the ground.

"The explosion…crud, Ayame's –"

A single shot. A spray of blood punctured from Miroku's right hand.

"Nice to have you here." It was a greasy voice. The voice of the man from the resort. With Ayame struggling in his arm.

Sango was trying to help Miroku deal with his new found pain in his hand, and Inuyasha was trying to get at the man with the gun, but he remembered I was on his back…apparently.

"Inuyasha…" The man continued, pointing his gun at Inuyasha. "You brought the goods? I'm surprised." He eyed me, more so than Inuyasha. Okay, so now I was sure that the HK he wanted meant _me_. Higurashi Kagome.

"Keh! What the hell's your problem?!" He yelled. Looking down at Miroku and Sango, and Kagura holding her right arm, it was obvious this wasn't the time to compromise.

"Just give me the girl and the goods, and I'll give you this little one." He then pointed his gun at Ayame, who was at the moment mute, blind, and deaf with his arm entwined around her head, and struggling to get free. "I wouldn't want to see more blood. I'm sure you don't want to either."

You know, maybe it wasn't the time to realize it, but he was standing on a large X. It was painted on…the snow?

No…another white blanket…and the ground…the ground!

"INUYASHA, IT'S A T–"

Then, quite unexpectedly, Kouga seemed to jump from midair and land right on top of the man in black. It was in a very, VERY similar fashion as how Miroku had jumped out of the shed.

"Did you really think binding me to the tree could've held me in place?!" He held out the remnants of some chains. STEEL chains. Scary…

But it was all too late now. Because the last trap was set.

"KOUGA YOU DUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMY!!!" I yelled as the ground beneath us collapsed. But this time, it wasn't some snow set off to fall beneath us. It was snow tubes. Dozens and dozens of them. And we were standing right at the edge of the snow tube lane, the course set just before us.

…now, why don't we do this in a more practical term, hmm?

Kagura: We see her speeding down the runway in her single snow tube and she's dead with shock, her eyes wide and navigating with utterly no control. And, what do we see here? Sesshoumaru! He's standing right at the end of the lane, and we see with a close-up view that he's holding a gun. Aiming it at…Kagura?!

Ayame and Kouga: They're fast approaching the turn with exceptional speed in their paired snow tube, and…what the? Wait, Ayame had been in the front just before they reached the sharp turn, but now Kouga was facing the front and Ayame had flipped behind him and onto his original seat! Incredible…

Inuyasha, me, Miroku and Sango: Our single tubes are connected together with our four pairs of hands, just because we're too freaked out to let go!!! And now you can see us going through the same sharp turn Kouga and Ayame had just went through and…ow!!! Our tubes separate into four single ones as our grips brake! We're all screaming our heads off and Inuyasha's in the lead! But wait? It's Inuyasha's brother, Sesshoumaru again! Kagura's beside him with her snow tube punctured and out of air…

I realized then that Sesshoumaru was aiming for the tubes so the airs would ran out. Back to normal mode people.

Kouga and Ayame slowed down before us after two clear shots, and two more shots rang through the air.

The first one just barely missed and hit the snow beneath me, but the second hit its target on Miroku's tube which was right behind mine; and since he was in front of Sango the two of them slowed down to a stop.

But Inuyasha and I were totally out of control.

Sesshoumaru, Kagura, Kouga, and Ayame, having no choice, had to jump away as our two snow tubes swirled past them.

Just picture the two snow tubes suddenly starting to wheel round and round, like a crazy merry-go-round that went through an electrical malfunction, and now it was spinning out of control with the kids still on it at 120 mph. It was how the tubes were acting like.

And one advice before I tell you what happened next.

Spinning out of control just before you hit the large vertical ice-sheet that's supposed to stop a person's joyride, is NEVER, **EVER **a good thing.

I swear, for a slight second, just that strict second, I felt like the cow that jumped over the moon as our snow tubes flew into the air. But have you ever wondered how it would feel like to land after a jump so high?

Well…

I felt my whole tube turn 180 degrees upwards, and for another few seconds, I realized that Newton's Law was at its harshest. Because we had to land. Some time.

And what was worse was that, before I even understood I was supposed to get ready for the worst, Inuyasha's tube was in front of mine, and evidently, the two connected, in what seemed like a slow motion.

It was like a slow motion to us, but when you flip over after a fast ride like that, it only takes a tiny bump for the air in front of you to burst.

Inuyasha was forced to jump off from the force of that little bump, and he had to reach out for something to hold onto. Maybe he was grabbing for an imaginary parachute. But what he grabbed was my hair.

MY HAIR!

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" I went down with him, our tubes still flying away into the night like lovebirds, and us falling on top of…

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Even louder screams of fear.

**Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, **and more** thuds**.

Miroku, Sango, Kouga, Ayame, Inuyasha, and I laid groaning and moaning in shocking pain. And this wasn't funny. I tell you, IT WASN'T FUNNY!!! It was painful and horrible! Just imagine my body, mangled and twisted in a pack of other people, trying to get out.

Sesshoumaru and Kagura was standing beside us, just watching. Damn them! Damn their incredible agility and damn them for just watching our agony in slight amusement!

And when everyone's trying to get off of somebody, they were all kicking or hitting somebody else.

"Get off of me!" Six of those screams.

"You get off!"

"Stop kicking me!"

"Your face's on my back!"

"Stop nudging your leg on my rear! Miroku!"

"I can't move! Inuyasha's hair's in my way!"

"Stop kicking my face!"

I was the one who yelled "Stop kicking me!", but the rest was too random for me to remember who yelled/screamed at who.

But I can tell you this. When everything was done and over with…

**_I WAS GOING TO KILL SESSHOUMARU _** **_AND_****_ KAGURA!!! _**

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**AN: **Family issues –– Anyway, next chapter – Scandals Abound! Beginning of the End Pt. 1


	19. Scandals Abound! Beginning of the End

"Umm…Inu?"

"What?"

"You really shouldn't be…"

"OWWWWWWWWWWW!!!"

"…" I slapped my hand on the forehead. Idiocy was so common these days…

Though I have to admit, I was surprised Inuyasha was able to move around without flinching every few seconds. With seven stitches on his thumb, I was sure he would sit on the couch longer. Oh well…I guess my goal of catching him as a potato couch would have to wait longer.

It turned out that I didn't have twisted ankles. Just badly bruised ones. It was better not to walk for three days. And today was the third day.

"Great." Miroku walked in, swinging his out of commission hand like a windmill. "Trying to pour yourself some milk again?"

"Leave me alone." Inuyasha picked up the now empty carton, which Kirara was now hungrily licking off of the floor. "We'll just leave the cat to the cleaning."

Okay. If you want to know the full details of what's going on, here's the deal. Or 4-1-1…whatever.

Kagura, who was currently in the hospital wing, was temporarily on vacation because of her twisted right arm. Even if she declared herself unharmed, I don't think she could teach herself to be left handed that easily.

Kouga turned out to have a broken rib, which I'm guessing he got from breaking out through the chains. I'll tell you like I did before. Freaky…

Ayame. Lucky her. She only has a minor bruise on her left eye. (Okay, so it's pretty painful.) How she got it, I don't know. Maybe it was during the joyride on the snow tubes. But compared to the rest of us, she's dang lucky.

I have a slight suspicion that Sesshoumaru got a mild cold, since he wasn't wearing any jacket when he came out to fire on the tubes, but he didn't go through what we did. So he's an exception.

Sango. A few bruises here and there. Those darn henchmen beat her up a lot, though her struggle kept her from being violated. Those idiots got what they deserved under the snow tsunami.

Miroku…ouch. Well, he's doing well with his injury to his right hand, but I'm not sure he's able to go back to the sports world. We'll just have to see…

And all of you already know that I was with bruised ankles and Inuyasha some stitches. This was begging to become a world of injuries and pain. Speaking of pain…

"Did the police find out what the heck was going on?"

"They were bound to do so." Ayame cut Miroku off as she walked in. She had a piece of long gauze around her left eye. It covered a quarter of her face. "I mean, who else could've taken the men under the snow into custody?"

"Well, either way we're going to have to get away from here sooner or later." Inuyasha, picking up the tiny cat and settling it on the kitchen counter, said as he washed his hand. "How are the others?"

"Sango's still in the room. I just finished bandaging her." Ayame replied. "You might want to leave her in the dark for a while. Still a bit shaken up."

"And Kouga?"

"Oddly enough," Miroku raised my eyebrow at me. "He's acting like himself."

Ayame blinked. "You mean…before he started acting all shy?"

Inuyasha, Miroku, and I all exchanged knowing glances. That kissing incident again.

"Must've been the chains." I nodded, sharing my thoughts. "He's broken out of it, and now he must think he's Superman."

Ayame shuddered. "Kouga in Superman tights? Oh god…"

"Well, good thing he's still in his room. He would've killed you for that thought."

Seriously. I would've wanted to live a normal life. I really would've. Witches. Demons. Warlocks. They're just in fairytales, right? But corruption in government agencies, secret organizations…those are real. And as real as it gets, it's darn scary.

That's what I learned when the door suddenly flung open, and revealed a horde of men bursting into the room like a swarm of bees.

"What the hell?!"

"What's going on?!"

"Hey, no!"

_"All of you in this room are under arrest. You all have the right to remain silent." _

Corny. But _everyone_ would've found it weird when every one of the man in the black pack were wearing gas masks.

"Then where the hell are your badges?!"

Momentary silence. Eye of the storm people. Eye of the storm…

_"_ _NOW__!" _A random 'policeman' threw a can, and before any of us could shout or resist, a spray of violet mist shot out from that tiny metal bottle.

"Crud, don't –!" I never heard Inuyasha finish. I saw he's silver hair get tangled in several figures, all trying to jump on him. A thud.

It was Ayame. Her pale form stayed still on the carpet.

A scream. I saw Miroku's form twist in agony as someone grabbed his right hand. A thud, and he was still.

I covered my face, and dodged a few man. There were some advantages in being small.

Kagura. Sesshoumaru! Where were they?! Of all the rotten time!

My head was spinning. My stomach lurched. A horrible migraine.

Got to get out. Got to…can't think…have to lie down. My stomach. My stomach. My head. Don't throw up. Don't…

A thud. A thud. Sango and Kouga. The discomforting odor got to their room. The odor. So strong.

Have to lie down. Have…to…

"Kagome!" Inuyasha. A weak struggle. Then another thud.

And before I went down, before I closed my eyes in bliss, I knew. They had all of us. Ayame, Kouga, Sango, Miroku, Inuyasha, and now me. Kagura and Sesshoumaru. Where were they? Were they captured? Yes. The 'policeman' got them. As powerful as those two were, the fake law was towering above them.

I fell. I didn't even feel my body hit the floor.

**Get A Life!**

_Scandals Abound! Beginning of the End Pt.1_

By: Double S

Maybe Naraku finally became worried. We were able to evade him for such a long time. And the police were now in on what was going on. He must've panicked.

Why else would he 'arrest' the two dog-brothers, a wolf, and the priest in front of the resort's public eyes? It would rattle up more scandals, yes, but the police would eventually have to investigate on this and realize that the law had nothing to do with this. That it was a covered up kidnapping.

So, if the public, not to mention the tabloid, would eventually be told that this was all a misunderstanding due to some abduction of the famous, why would Naraku fake arrest in the first place?

I don't know…

But I do know that I must've been somehow able to avoid the gas and inhale less than the others. Because, even if my eyes were closed and my body was numb, my sense of hearing was still perfectly working.

A lot of mutters. I must've been on a stretcher. I just guessed, because my body felt like it was in pins-and-needles. But the squeak of a wheel was always obvious.

_"We have eight unconscious. I repeat, eight unconscious." _Radio. Yes, a man was speaking on a radio.

_"Each van will hold two stretchers. Make sure they're asleep." _

Oh crud.

A slide of doors. We must be outside. I felt no chill. Total numbness.

_"Please, this is official business. Stay back." _

People muttering. A thump. And a close of doors. Just sounds; everything I heard told me about the surrounding. It was frightening. But I knew if I started thinking hard again, my head would spin. And I noticed I was sweating. This feeling of pouring droplets told me it wasn't raining. Or maybe it was…

OW…my head…

A slap. Someone was getting slapped in the van.

"The dog's still asleep. Let's try HK."

They had codenames for us. Dog…must be Inuyasha. HK was me. Sesshoumaru probably was still being called Fluffy. Ha…

I felt a horrible sting on my cheek. A slap. It went through a horrible shockwave that started from my face, and down to my toes. But I stayed perfectly still. My eyes felt wet, but no one must've noticed.

_"Pair One's still asleep. How about the others?" _

_"Pair Two's good as dead." _

_"Pair Three's in la-la land." _

_"And Pair Four is snoring like a baby." _

It didn't make sense. Right then, I mean. My head was still pulsing, as if I was listening to only the bass of a loud rap. Beep, beep, bebop, beep…

I'm sorry to say that this torturous 'beeping' went on for hours. Yes, hours. Or maybe days – wait, no, it was definitely just hours. But after some beep, and bebop, you sort of go on to make even more interesting choices of words. Like…

_Eight babies in la-la land, _

_Let's wake up the strawberries! _

_A beautiful little girl with white skin… _

_YADDY, YADDY, YADDA!!! _

And then…

_Boom – shack – a – lack – a – lack – a, boom – shack – a – lack – a – lack – a _

_Eating all the bacon… _

_Oh the bacon, baby! _

…I have no idea where the bacon came from, but that was when I snapped out of it. Like, I finally understood this wasn't my bed. I was in a van. And I realized I couldn't figure out how I got there. My mind was so blurred that I nearly groaned out. Which might've gotten me in a whole lot of trouble.

So I stayed perfectly still. So still my muscles hurt from the tension.

A few minutes passed until I realized there was a slight snoring. A very loud and obvious snoring.

The guy, who was supposed to watch us, was napping. NAPPING, for crying out loud!

"Kagome…"

I turned my head to the stretcher next to mine. I figured out then that this was a huge van, seeing as two full-sized stretcher could fit side-by-side. And I also found out that if you wanted to look at something next to you, while still trying to lie on a stretcher, you had to turn your whole body around to look.

"Kagome," Inuyasha nudged his head towards the front of the vehicle "what time?"

I frowned. "You look." It was an exchange of whispers.

"Can't," He frowned back. "Body paralyzed." It was a slow speech.

Of course. I had been awake the whole time, so that gas must have passed through my body already. Inuyasha and the others were probably just waking up, so they still felt that horrible pins-and-needles sensation all over their body.

I lifted myself off the stretcher just slightly, and nearly fell over. My arms were left so weak after the ordeal. On my second try, I caught a good glimpse of the front window. I think the driver was listening to some radio…

"It's dark," I had to hiss, because the guy had just turned up the volume, "I think about… 8 PM?"

Inuyasha nodded, then went back to stare up at the roof of the car.

…okay. It was the take it or leave it routine.

I settled myself back in my stretcher and made myself comfortable on the sheet. No blankets, but it'll have to do.

"Kagome."

I didn't bother moving. "Mm?"

"You know about everything, don't you?" His speech was less slurred now.

Surprise, surprise. Maybe I wasn't good at keeping secrets, then. "Maybe. Feel like felling me in on some details you think I didn't find out about?"

He chuckled. No idea what that meant. "Kagome," My name was an endearment to his tongue.

"What?"

"Does this feel like a date to you?"

I had to look at his facial expression. There was a teasing grin. "You're still going through the paralyzing faze, aren't you?"

"Really though, I don't mind having some quality time with –"

"1, 2, 3, 4, 5; everybody get down on the floor-" I started muttering a funny tune that randomly came up. I remember hearing this song on a radio…

"Don't deny the truth –"

Total teasing mania. What was he doing? Because I knew he was up to something. I just knew it.

"Oh just shut up. It's getting really annoying."

"And some girls would love to hear those things from me."

"And yet I don't; what a shocker." Sarcasm was the way to go.

Inuyasha, instead of continuing to 'flirt' (or however he implied it), settled down. Like he was thinking about something.

I sort of liked the silence. It was peaceful. Sort of creepy, but peaceful.

And the dog boy just had to open his jaw.

"You know Kikyou."

"…what?" That was the last thing I needed (or predicted) to hear.

"That babe was with me the first time you saw me. She was the most serious girl I ever met. Valedictorian in high school, voted most likely to success…beauty and brains. Not much personality, though."

Okay, so we were heading towards who-knows-where on a creepy dark vehicle, and yet he was trying to…make me jealous? Well, curiosity was the cat's downfall. And now, the dog's prey was me – the feline.

"You guys went to high school together?"

"Before I hit the big time."

"With your action career."

"No, with Naraku."

"What?" I had not expected THAT. Even less than the Kikyou-conversation.

I couldn't see it, but Inuyasha must have grinned. A sad, regretful grin. "My parents…they had enough to deal with Sesshoumaru's past. And there were so many loans we had to repay…so I joined a guy's umm…"

"Game date?"

"…"

"Movie night?"

"…"

"A sentimental get-together?"

"…err…"

"A just plain d–?"

"A syndicate."

"…ooh."

"Since I was from an influential family and all, they accepted me pretty quickly…but…"

"Kikyou?" For some reason, that twisted image of Kikyou was starting to swirl deeper in my head. Why the heck was he talking about this? Maybe he finally felt like telling his history with someone else…

Inuyasha sighed. "Kikyou's blood was a much respected thing. I've known her since childhood, and she was the best example of 'purity'." His voice got softer. "She had power, but no greed. She was kind, smart, beautiful…quiet. Laughed from time to time. The best kind of friend you could have."

Silence.

"What happened?" I whispered.

"Naraku." He cracked his knuckles. "Kikyou knew of my problems. She didn't say anything, but Naraku somehow found out about me and her long-time friendship."

Pause…for dramatic effect, I guess.

"He visited her. I'm not sure what happened…but I think Naraku slipped some of that 'new' drug in her coffee – the one that modifies your nervous system."

"…"

"And after that…she started to act…wild. Crazy, almost. Her white skin got yellowish and her eyes…there were heavy bags under them. She looked so depressed. No, distressed. Kept on saying, 'I need more'."

I swear I was so horrified I nearly felt like crying. "That's terrible!"

Inuyasha cleared his throat. "Naraku's way of saying that if I didn't stay in the syndicate, something close to me would die of an ironic death."

Dare I say it, Naraku was an asshole.

But something sort of clicked…

"Wait, Kikyou was in on this too…so, you're saying that you only escaped Naraku because –"

"– Because of Kikyou. You're sharp today." He gave a humorless smile. "I would've stayed with the syndicate too. Good money. But I noticed how worse and worse Kikyou was getting. Angrier and…from time to time…I saw Naraku touching her. In parties and raves, I mean. Kissing her. Taking her to bedrooms. Then I knew…that kind friend, that one of a kind best friend I had long time ago…was gone. Gone because of Naraku's drugs."

My fist was shaking. Naraku touching a pure girl… Oh gee…what a horrible mental image.

"So I left. I left with Kikyou sleeping on my back. I took some bags of drugs with me, so Kikyou wouldn't die of her own addiction."

"You mean, you never thought to go to the police?"

"It wouldn't have helped. Some of the goons working for Naraku were policemen. Besides, Naraku would've rattled on me if I ever handed him over to the police. Either way, I was stuck."

"So you traveled with Kikyou…" Kikyou…the once PURE girl. Now a drug addict. And he was still lying. He wouldn't have cared if the police found him to have a past with Naraku. He cared about Kikyou. Her reputation would've been ruined if he told the police anything. A good friendship. Ruined.

"I ignored her rude ways. I tried ignoring her touches. Because I knew…because I knew that real Kikyou was still in there…somewhere."

"Does that mean…Naraku's been after Kikyou…and you all this time?"

"Probably…all that fiasco in the vacationing house must've been to get Kikyou running back to Naraku. But when I didn't follow…he must've got real mad. I don't even want to think about what Naraku's been doing to Kikyou…"

I say again, BAD mental image.

I wanted to ask about the other attacks. I wanted to ask why Naraku wanted me. HK. I wanted to know if this was the last of Inuyasha's secrets…but there was never a chance to do so.

It was the type of mixed sounds that made up one, gigantic, explosive, teeth gnarling sound. But I'll try to describe it the old-fashioned way.

_Bang, kink, crack, chin- WONG, GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG. _

"What the –?!" The two men in the car, both coming out of their stupor, tried to locate the sound. But it was too late for that.

"Yikes!" I squeaked as the roof of the car, was literally pulled off. Actually, that was from my point of view.

What really happened was that this car, wait, let's backtrack a bit…this car happened to be a hearse. Yes, a hearse. The limo-like car that carries dead bodies. (A nice way of disguising abduction, eh?) We're clear on this, so let's continue.

This _hearse_ just happened to be traveling 90 miles per hour, and it was the last one out of the four that was traveling in a line on the night road.

And apparently, it turned out that Kagura and Sesshoumaru had no intention of being presumed dead.

_"Pair One's awake! I repeat Pair – shit! What the hell?!" _A voice came from the walkie-talkie.

_"Give me that!" _Sesshoumaru.

_"No!" _

_"Who's a pair?!" _Kagura.

_"Hey, I'm the driver here!" _

_"Push him out of the car!" _Kagura.

_"NO!" _

A thud, screech, and then a sudden break.

As soon as I heard that break in the sound, a horrible second passed. Inuyasha and I exchanged glances; both realizing what was going to happen.

The inevitable crash came sooner than expected.

-

"Kagome…Kagome, wake up!"

Man. It's like an annoying alarm clock. It keeps on coming, and coming, and coming, and –

A hard slap on my cheek helps my eyes blink open.

"Huh?"

Kagura stepped back. "Well, at least you're awake."

I tried to get up, but a sharp sting on my neck cracked and I fall back on the floor, or ground. It turns out to be a cold cement ground. Not comfortable.

"Wow…that hurt…" I grumble as Kagura helped me get up.

"You've been asleep for some time."

"And yet I'm still tired."

"Well, you bled a lot, from what I hear."

That snaps me full conscious. I notice the steel bars on the windows. I notice the dank, muggy room. I notice the small door labeled 'Bathroom'. I notice another oak door. Locked. And I notice the bandages on my arms, and sling and cast on Kagura's already injured arm.

"What's…going on?"

"Umm…you might want to sit down."

I hear a groan.

I turn around.

There. Kikyou…

"Kikyou?!" I shout, and I immediately get a bump on the head.

"Shut up or you'll wake her up." Kagura grumbled, and sat down on the floor.

I follow, but I keep my eyes on Kikyou, who's lying on a mat. I don't even think she's wearing anything under the thin piece of rag over her. There are bruises all over her body that's not very well covered.

"Okay…now I REALLY am confused."

Kagura rubbed her temple. "There's been a guy visiting us every few hours. From what I could get out of him, it seems like the others are held up in some medical facility."

"You mean they're getting tested on like lab rats?!"

"No dummy, they're being held because of the injuries from the car crash."

"Car crash?" Then I remember. The bang, and the thud and all those other sounds I heard. "Oh, the one you and Sesshoumaru caused!"

"Shut up." Kagura waved it off. "Anyway, it seemed like you, me, and the dog brothers are the least injured. Miroku, Sango, Kouga, and Ayame were in the two cars between yours and mine, so you could say they sort of got…squished?"

"The car or them?"

"It was the car, or they'd be dead. Now pay attention. I'm only _guessing_ the four injured are in the med…let's just call it an infirmary. I'm not clear on the dog brothers, but I think they're in another room. I haven't heard much about them…"

"Oh…so, where are we?" I looked around. "A jail cell?"

"Apparently, this is where they hold all the…" She stopped.

"What? Go on."

"…toys."

"…toys? Wait – EW, GOD NO!!!" I screamed, looking back at the poor unconscious Kikyou on the mat. Seeing that Kagura's clothes weren't tattered, I guessed nothing had happened to her yet. "You mean we're going to be like her?! …god rest her soul, but **_no way_** am I letting **that** happen!"

"I'm not dead."

Even Kagura screamed and jumped up when Kikyou suddenly sat up.

"K – Kikyou!" My voice cracked. I don't know why, but her bloodshot eyes were making her baggy eyes stand out even more. "Long time…no…see?"

She blinked a couple of times, as if adjusting to the already dark room, and squinted up at me. Her bruised body just made me feel sorry for her even more.

"Oh…that girl with Inuyasha?" She yawned, and sagged, too tired to speak.

"Umm…yeah, me…"

She turned to Kagura. "And the cousin." Her voice was gruff. And sometimes cracked to a hoarse pitch. Her once long beautiful hair was now matted like an oily tissue paper (and not the good kind), and her skin had red and purple splotches.

…Naraku deserved to be burned. Burn…

Kagura didn't answer her, but Kikyou took that as a yes. "Two more toys for Naraku to use. Two more for his collection. Two more virgins for him to shove into." Her eyes dulled. Her speech was monotone. Then she looked as she was going to cry, and fell back on the shaggy mat.

Kagura sighed. "She's been waking up and going back to sleep for the past day now. It's getting real annoying."

"Well, at least she didn't attack you or…oh." I saw the humorless face of Kagura's. "What she do?"

"Oh, just screamed she needed more of that 'new' drug, and tried to struggle through the oak door." She pointed to the oak door, which I now plainly saw the long gruesome scratch marks on. Oh gee…and here I thought she French manicured her nails every few weeks.

"At least she was wearing a tube top and shorts. But back to business." Kagura didn't seem to like Kikyou that very much. "Now, while we were getting transported here and through the time you've been unconscious, I found out a few things."

"Oh? What?"

"Well, from what Inuyasha said, you know a few things about what we've been trying to hide from Naraku." She shrugged. "I'm not sure what's in your _blood_, but snooping must run in the family. But what you forgot was that when you took my letter from the first aid kit, you forgot to close the latch. And my coworker spotted you going into the hospital wing."

Oh…okay, so maybe I wasn't as good as I thought I was.

She leaned on the wall and sled onto the floor. "So, you know about me, Sesshoumaru, and Inuyasha's involvement?"

"Well, I told Ayame about it…"

Kagura frowned, but looked thoughtful. "Well, good thing she broke her jaw, or she'd be tortured for information."

Grim humor? I don't think so…

"Umm…so, what's Sesshoumaru's involvement?"

"Mm?"

"I know he must've helped Inuyasha someway or another, but I never really had the chance to dig deeper into it…"

Kagura gave that same humorless smile as Inuyasha. For a second, just a second, I saw the image of Inuyasha. Why him of all people? "He's a cop."

"Eh?" I snapped out of my pondering. "You mean, Sesshoumaru?"

"Yeah. The gossip is he just got 'found' in Hollywood, but the truth of the matter is, he went undercover to try and bust some drug syndicates. And wouldn't you know it; it was the one Inuyasha just had to be in. Naraku knew what the cop was doing, since some of his clients are detectives too. When Sesshoumaru went undercover, it was about the time Inuyasha tried to escape with Kikyou. It was convenient timing, I guess."

I blinked. I just realized…I was in a show full of scandals and secrets. And deception…

The equation please…

Scandals + Drama Soap Opera.

A groan. I tried not looking at Kikyou, but I failed miserably. I had no hate for her. Maybe pity. Maybe guilt? Pity for the shameless torture she went through. Guilt for thinking she was a slut. In fact, she was the opposite. She was the innocent forced to act like a whore in order to survive her unfortunate addiction.

Ah…great, I hate thinking about all this angst. It was just so…out of my peppy-style? Mm…but I was never peppy. Or was I…?

"So, what do you think happened to the Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru?"

Kagura bit her bottom lip with a thoughtful expression. "Either in a torturing chamber getting pins stuck in their eyes for information, or being fed to the piranhas in the aquarium."

"…seriously?"

"No. Maybe tortured, but not much."

I squirmed. "Say, where are we? I mean, like the state."

" Japan."

"What?!" I was in my home country, and I didn't even know it.

"Sure. The syndicate base is located in Akihabara, and that's where we are. I guess we can say Home Sweet Home?"

I gape. That's when a loud clank announced the opening of the oak door.

"You." An oriental man pointed a very crooked finger at me. "Get up." He had a slurred accent.

I looked at Kagura, and she nodded. What was in her eyes? It was so well masked…

I followed the man out the door (as I heard another groan from Kikyou) and stepped into the cold marble hallway. Cold…because I wasn't wearing any shoes or socks…

The guy grabbed my elbow and dragged me towards an elevator. I guessed it was better not to say anything.

We were in the home territory of our enemy. Wait, I just noticed I had an enemy…

The elevator, the marble, the porcelain vases…everything I passed by made me feel so out of my place. And I noticed I smelled a little funny too, even if I was wearing only my skirt and blouse.

Another elevator…another hallway…

Man, how many elevators did this place have?! It was a constant taunt, looking out from the external windows and into the cities below. I was held captive in a building that looked over hundreds of companies, outlet stores and people. Dang it, use your eyes people!!! Akihabara! The most crowded place you could imagine that sells electronics here and there…and yet I felt so alone…

"Start moving." The guy shuffled me over towards the gigantic twin doors. I think it was made all metal, but there was a very loud screech that went through my bones when it opened by itself. The guy next to me stood unfazed.

"I have her."

"Good." I didn't know it then, but this was him. Naraku. The greasy, creepy voice of Naraku. Everything about him was greasy. The guy who deserves to burn…burn…

Then I was left alone. Alone with the freak. The guy who led me here had walked out and shut the door.

"HK…"

I froze.

"Age, 15. Followed your adopted brother since age of 10. Father, deceased. Lived in your Grandfather's shrine since 4 to 10. Currently residing with adopted brother as his manager."

I stayed silent.

"Blood type…AB…Negative."

He said that as if he just read off the lost treasure or something. Sure, my blood type was pretty rare, but why…?

"Funny, isn't it? All of you…well, most of you…" Footsteps. A lamp turned on from above. For dramatic effect? Most definitely. And then I had to see his face. His creepy crawly face. His eyes so much like…well; I guess he resembled something like Voldemort. But that long black hair…and the slimy way he walked towards me…oh god, if he tried to do what he did to Kikyou…if I only had a ton of gasoline and a match…burn…

"The same rarity of blood…" He continued. "Sesshoumaru only got in my way for a little while. But you. AB Negative. Kagura. AB Positive. Inuyasha. AB Positive. Rare blood types. All I need for my experiments."

I kept silent. I didn't need to ask. This drug whacko wanted our blood for some new drug usage. Gross, and disturbing. Slight interesting, but disturbing.

"I could've just taken you. And yet fate insisted on giving me all of your 'group's' blood. I could've abducted anybody. Any single insignificant specs out there." On cue, a lamp next to the shadowed window turned on with a 'click', and the images of bustling people, bicycles, traffic, stores and companies were revealed. "So many to choose from. Yet I picked you. I picked the people Inuyasha knew. Kikyou. AB negative. For amusement. For…'fun'."

I was sick to my stomach. I tried tuning him out. But then would he say something I would later need to know? Curiosity…damn…

"– Sesshoumaru, O Positive. Kouga, A Negative. Ayame, B Positive. Miroku, A Positive. Sango, B Negative. So many to choose from. So many to use. Perfect specimens."

…next thing he would say could be, 'I want your _bloooooooood-_'. He was sounding more and more like a vampire.

"Quiet, aren't you?" I noticed he was only a few feet away from me. If I step back, I would show weakness. If I step forward…okay, that's just stupid. I'll be showing some kind of fetish to creepy dudes. Yuck…

"Where are Inuyasha and the others?" I stood up. I guess I could only speak up.

He snapped his fingers, and gave a smile that caused a shiver down my backbone. A loud whirling of computers announced a wall opening up right beside me. It was a large set of TV screens.

There, on the left side, was Kagura and Kikyou in the room similar to that of a jail cell. Now I realized why Kagura had said…

_"I'm not sure what's in your **blood**…"_ She knew we were being taped.

On the right screen. The infirmary. Ayame, Sango. Both on separate beds. Both with IV tubes sticking out from their wrists. On another screen. Miroku, Kouga. On chairs. Chained, and yelling. In front of them was Sesshoumaru. Chains around his legs, waist, arms…a man circling him with a bat.

Inuyasha. On another screen. Also yelling. On a stretcher with no tubes sticking out. Healthy. Then a man…a man with a needle walked up to him.

"They will all be ready for my experiment. And so will you, my dear."

Then I felt it. That disgusting touch on my hair. That pull of strands on my scalp. Oh lord this was the hellish nightmare people could only imagine about. The only nightmares I got were a Halloween clown chasing after me every two years…but this…this was worse!

And this was what I called being stuck.

Everybody was in the base of Naraku's. And we were all stuck in this. No way to communicate. No way out.

No way to survive.

-

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-

-

-

-

**AN: **Now THIS is what I call a cliffhanger. Oh yup. Next chapter – Part 2!!!


	20. Part 2

Some of you are aware of the…_'flame'_ I received on the last chapter…he, he, he. Sorry; I find it so amusing. I'll talk about that after the chapter, so that readers won't have to wait to read. Enjoy!

Electra: That b-#$! Why doesn't she take her crud and shove –

Double S: -Bops her on the head- Shut up! The readers are going to think I said that impersonating someone else!

Electra: X.x Anyway, it's me…ALLL me-! If she has a -problem- with –

_-Cuts her off and continues with the chapter- _

---

"Get in there!"

I let out a grunt as I stumbled into the jail cell. Back to square one.

My hand was sill shaking from what happened, and I guess I was still jumpy, seeing as I leaped into the air like a frog when the guy _slammed_ the door behind me.

"Match…I need a match…" I kept on repeating over and over again as I settled down on the cement. Rocking back and forth, back and forth…

Me? Go crazy? Well…possibly…

That was when I noticed. Kagura was gone.

"She's gone."

I turned to Kikyou. She was now sitting, more like crouched, on her mat. Her eyes were narrowed…or maybe it was the way it was supposed to be. She didn't look one bit peaceful, though.

"They took her." She continued. She probably saw me look around like a wounded puppy. "She struggled. So five men came. They took her to a room…room." She gave a rattled sigh.

She was thinking what I was thinking.

She was thinking maybe what happened to her would happen to Kagura.

I bit my bottom lip. It started to hurt. I just couldn't relax. I couldn't relax, because I knew what was happening.

To…

"You okay?"

My eyes snap wide open and stare at Kikyou. For just a second, her tone was…whimsical? An actually worried tone. But when I made eye contact…her facial features hardened.

"Well?"

I gave a smile. I tried to give that all-too-familiar, humorless smile. She would want to know.

"What?" Kikyou's slightly scratched brows deepened.

"I saw Inuyasha."

I'm not sure what time it was. Maybe it was nighttime. Or maybe it was in the early mornings. I lost all sense of time. I mean, who would even **try **sleeping in a place like this? A building filled with horny mans that thought with their…yeah…

"Inuyasha…" I sighed.

"You love him."

I raised my eyebrows. She was talkative today. "What?"

She shrugged, and gave me a cool look. "You love him. It's so simple. It's so simple. Ha…ha…"

I just watched. It's been like that for the past few days. Or was it weeks? I just lost all train of thoughts…

Kikyou continued chattering away like a child. It was sad, really. Inu said she loved kids before…_this_ happened. Now she was _acting_ like a kid…in a weird, drunken sort of way…

I looked up at the ceiling. Naraku was still watching. I knew he was enjoying seeing me, sitting by a corner and listening to Kikyou babble nonsense.

Ayame and Sango were in the infirmary. I don't think they were still unconscious; they were strong – they could've _chosen_ to wake up by now. Maybe they knew…something I didn't?

…yeah. Think of _Mission__: Impossible_ when I'm in a situation that's like _Godfather_.

But the movie did make me wonder. In action movies, they always used air vents…to escape! Yes, they did – I remembered so perfectly. The directors always used the same thing. Was it some sort of an underground railroad for the hostages?

Of course, I didn't have any technical gadgets. Even if I was in Akihabara.

There wasn't any air vents in this room…but I remembered the bathroom had…

Yes, I was sure the bathroom wasn't taped…but there were times I just couldn't get the courage to walk in there.

Then I remembered. Inuyasha.

Desperate times called for desperate measures.

_"You love him."_

Kikyou…she sounded serious when she said that. I looked over at the girl, who was now surprisingly back to sleep. The girl manipulated and tortured for Naraku's use. Stuck with only a falling tube top and shredded short. I didn't want to end up like her – but I wanted to help her instead. To save her.

To save Inuyasha. And the others.

Man…

Since when did I turn into a one-girl army?

**Get A Life!**

_Part 2_

By: Double S

_-Earlier that day…- _

"Get in there!"

Kagome didn't bother squeaking or yelling when she stumbled and fell onto the oncoming floor. It's been like this routinely for quite sometime…maybe it's been six days…

"Had a nice breakfast?" Damn Naraku.

Peas. How ironic. Balancing peas had 'caused' Miroku to break his arm…and how I was acquainted with everyone. And Inuyasha.

I glared at him.

"Angry? Shame…I wanted you to see something _special_ today…"

I instinctively turned around to the whirling wall of screens. I was aware of the television set. This was getting THAT old. Kikyou, Kagura, sitting quiet in a distant manner. Ayame, Sango, 'unconscious' and settled on the same beds.

Kouga, Miroku, sitting; tired. Fatigued. Sesshoumaru was just lying on the ground in front of them. The man with the bat was gone.

Inuyasha…was…

"Loud beast, wasn't he? I concluded that sucking all his blood from his marrow bones until he was completely dry was best to go. At least he's quiet now."

A mask covered his mouth. Inuyasha had a cast over his left leg, with bunch of tubes sticking out. Bone marrow. Blood until dry…?

"Those samples of blood will be very useful. I'm very interested to see how his blood will react to certain types of my…'new' drugs. Testing daily on Kikyou's body, while watching her react with the naked eyes, was very well informing…indeed. Yet this new type of testing…it's so much more amusing."

_Freaks. Sick minded freaks! _

_-Present time- _

Another groan. Perfect.

I made sure my eyes opened in slits. Kikyou's predictable groans were as good as alarm clocks. Or earthquakes. Yes…perfect.

No one would be watching from the security cameras. From what I saw of the goofs, and Naraku's (nearly jealousy-causing skin tone) it would mean that no one bothered to stay up _this_ late to check up on their 'guests'. Or so I was hoping.

I slowly got on my knees, and slowly shuffled towards the bathroom.

"Mm…"

I paused, and looked back at Kikyou.

"…go." My hairs stung my neck. "Save them…"

Sleep talking? I don't think so…she was speaking to me…

I nodded, aware that she probably wouldn't see that, and slowly opened the bathroom door.

I stood up as I closed the door behind me.

Plan _Escape-from-Hell_ was **on**.

I got on the closed toilet, and reached for the ceiling. It was THAT low. My hands connected with the exact spot I was reaching for. The steel wires made some soft noise as I unlatched it from the ceiling. I slowly settled it on the counter and touched the large air vent. Yes…it was large. And extremely dusty.

Oh gosh…I just remember there could be mold…

Inuyasha. In casts. With tubes sticking out. Mental images in my head.

Okay, I had to take this chance.

I settled one foot on the counter, and heaved as I grabbed the sides of the vent.

Kikyou must have gasped awake when I gave a yell. Actually, all that exercise I got from running around with the gang was pretty good for my arms. But…I had NO idea just how dusty and cotton-like the air vent was going to be. I hit my head, my elbows connected with the sides of the steel walls, and my legs banged onto the ledge all while my face was covered in what I first thought was mice.

I blew that dusts away and moaned. I wished I was at home. Watching TV. Why was I dragged into this? Sure, an exciting adventure was fun…but someone as nasty as Naraku…oh it just made me so mad that I could've kicked him! Dang it! Whenever I was in front of him…those **nasty** hands…bah!

I got into a perfect crouch, and began to crawl towards the way I was facing. Except this wasn't easy. It was cramped, and not to mention the horrible noise I was making by crawling. So I stopped, and considered sliding by my elbows and knees. It would probably ruin my sleeves and pants, but that would have to do. I'll probably burn it after I burned Naraku to hell, anyway.

Needless to say, my action on sliding in the air vent worked.

I had no idea where I was going. But what I wanted to do was just slide on and see if I could find any rooms by the air vents.

After a few (grueling) minutes, which seemed to bring more and more heat into the air vent, I finally found some cracks of lights coming through, ahead of my passageway. I slid on with my sweaty palms, and found a room that blinded my eyes.

It was the infirmary.

"Sango…Ayame!" I hissed, but stopped. I wasn't even sure if they were alone…I wasn't even sure if there were other rooms that looked exactly like this one!

I, with a tired sigh, kicked the air vent out, which I quickly caught when it gave away. The air vent was right on top of one of the beds. One of the empty beds…

"Guys?" Where were they? Was this the right room?

I jumped down from the ceiling, and dropped the vent lid next to me on the bed. I was so gray on the white sheets; I couldn't even believe that this was me talking.

The beds weren't neatly done, and the masks the two girls were wearing were on the floor.

This had to be their room. And there was now the perspective choice that they had escaped before I came, or the men had hastily taken them…

I coughed, which produced a puff of gray smoke that came from my throat. This was _not_ good for my lungs…

_"Now!" _

I didn't have time to react.

I didn't even recognize the yell until the closet slammed open, revealing two girls, each equipped with **dangerous** looking brooms.

We all stopped and stared halfway through the attack, until I gave a much delayed yell and held up the vent lid in front of my face.

"Kagome?"

"Kagome?"

"Sango? Ayame?"

Ayame dropped her broom. "…where did you come from?"

I lowered my 'shield'. "We really need a secret code for these things…"

-

"This better work." Sango coughed.

I slowly started sliding on my bruised elbows. It must've been bloody red by now – but with the towels the girls had found from the closet, it would help out my horrible bruises.

"Okay, why couldn't I have been in the front?" Ayame complained as she followed after Sango when she gave the signal, and heaved herself into the air vent.

"Because this was all _my _idea." I replied; making sure I was a few paces away from Sango's face. I never wore a horse outfit, but I was now getting the idea of how uncomfortable that could be. At least Sango and Ayame were my gender…

We started our way into the air vents, sliding and sliding in the vent as beads of sweat started to literally pour from our face. I had no idea how tremendously cramped this was getting.

After a few minutes of more sliding, we all had enough.

"Okay, why don't we just find a room and rest there?"

We all voted with a nod. We were athletic, but we weren't James Bond.

We found a room that was some sort of a gigantic office/meeting room, and settled on resting there. With the same unlatching skills I used, I grabbed the lid and jumped softly onto the carpeted floor.

I made sure the door was locked, and turned on the lights.

"Smells nice." Ayame, who was now gray as I was, commented while she followed Sango out of the vent.

"Let's just rest here for a few minutes, and maybe stretch…Kagome?"

I took a sip of soda. "Mm?"

"Where'd you get that from?"

I pointed to an opened cabinet, which held cans of orange juice. "It's a meeting room, so it has to have refreshments…"

They helped themselves with the drinks, and I moseyed on over to the door. I looked through the door window, and squinted through the shadows. Just like I suspected. No guards wandering down the hallway with handguns…the hallway carried only doors on each side…and apparently, the meeting room faced another door, also lit…

I sprayed so much juice out of my mouth; the window looked like it was permanently stained orange.

"Don't waste your juice!" Sango came over. "And what the heck happened?"

I pointed. "The door…I just saw the room where Miroku and Kouga are being held!"

Ayame gaped. "How do you…?"

"Because I just saw a man walk in there with a bat!"

"…they're being tortured?"

"Well, Sesshoumaru is, but…"

There was a loud shout, and a thud. Sesshoumaru.

"Okay…on the count of three…" I held up three fingers.

"What?" Sango frowned with an unopened can. "What are we doing?"

I grinned.

Oh, I was so brilliant. Sure, the evil man with the bat was well equipped, but we had dozens of unopened cans to back us up. Yes, throwing them at the man would've been painful…but…

"What the –?!" The bat-guy yelled as the three of us barged into the room.

"Girl power!" We yelled (apparently for no reason) and directly opened the cans at him. The _shaken _cans.

"Ahhhh!" The man yelled as he was sprayed in the eyes with that sweet orange liquid. "My eyes!"

"Fizz him off!" Ayame said as she continued her attack with the juice. "Sango, get the bat!"

Sango jumped and took the bat from his hands, then promptly struck him on the back of the head. "Homerun!"

The guys on the floor must've been gawking at us the whole time we continued the onslaught.

Soon, the bat-guy was held by the same chains that had been holding Sesshoumaru on the wall.

Of course, it wasn't all that fun and game, seeing the bruise marks on Sesshoumaru and the purple bump on Miroku's forehead.

"Okay, now we just have to find Kagura and Inuyasha…" I sighed as the last of the boys were free from the evil chains.

"I find it amusing how Inuyasha seemed to pick the most violent of girls to be with…"

I ignored Sesshoumaru and formed a plan.

So it was decided. Me (given the privilege of holding the bat), Sesshoumaru and Kouga were going to sneak through the hallway; while Ayame, Sango and Miroku were going to go through the vent to find the security room.

"Good luck." The other three seemed to be set for their mission, and separated from the pack. I swear; we were all aware how crazy this was.

This was for secret agents and spies! Not good-looking groups of guys and girls who were pretty athletic…

"Where do you think Inuyasha's being held?" Kouga asked as we went through the quiet hall.

"Somewhere like the infirmary Sango and Ayame were being held. I saw the room on the television screen."

"And Kagura?" Sesshoumaru's voice on her name was strained.

"No idea…" We fell silent after that, following the shadows as we continued through the darkened hallway. It must've been like that for some time, because after a while, my legs started to burn. But the silence didn't last as long as I would've wanted to.

There was a sudden ring, like a fire alarm.

"The others must have gotten into trouble!"

"Or someone found out that more than half of their prisoners were gone!"

We quickly ran, not caring if we made any noise, and shot through the red lights.

_"The room's empty! They escaped!" _

I ran right into Kouga's back when he stopped. "Crud, they're right down the other hall!" He said, but I couldn't quite hear him as a loud ring broke the middle of his sentence.

"That room." Sesshoumaru pointed. He was in his police mode. "Get in."

We ducked into a door, hoping there was some kind of shelter provided.

The ringing stopped.

"The other three made it into the security room…"

"I hope Miroku knows his computers as much as he knows his sports."

Sesshoumaru turned on the lights as he flicked the switch on.

When we turned around to face the room, we were in front of three white dressed men, surrounding an unconscious form on a bed. Kagura.

Pure silence.

The doctors didn't hold any guns, but we didn't know if they knew any defense moves. They had needles in their hands, and they weren't afraid to use them on Kagura. But I wasn't afraid to use my bat against them either.

So I bit my bottom lip, and yelled. "Eat this!" I threw the last can of soda in my pocket, and swung my bat at one of the doctor's heads.

It made a horrible 'crack' as I hit his shoulder. I missed his head, but I was still able to break his shoulder. The other two took the chance to jump on the other two doctors, and beat them up until they were well unconscious.

The doctor with the broken shoulder was still conscious, so Sesshoumaru took the liberty of throwing him against the wall while I gave him the bat, and helped Kouga try to wake Kagura up.

"Where's the other prisoner?"

"The girls?" The doctor groaned, obviously in horrible pain. "They're in the medical –"

"I mean Inuyasha!"

"The blood donator?" I didn't like how he said the 'donator'. "I can't give away such private info–"

Sesshoumaru brought down the bat right in front of the man, making a loud crack on the floor. His…'negotiation' skill was well practiced.

"…he's in the 16th floor. Second door to the left."

"I'll go!" I volunteered. "I can fit through the vent, and –"

"We don't need any risks of getting caught. If you're a hostage, then the enemy will have an advantage."

"But –"

"We're on the top floor of the building. The 30th to be exact. We're closer to the security room. I can go and contact the Police Force from there. Kouga, help me carry Kagura and Kagome…Kagome!"

I ignored him and grabbed the bat from his hand before he knew what I was doing; and I ran away from my allies. I was going to Inuyasha. They didn't know what kind of situation Inuyasha was in. They didn't know how serious his condition was.

The alarm had stopped, but everyone in the building already knew what was going on.

I approached the elevator, and stopped. Stairs or elevator? The stairs…wait; the guards would've covered the area. Yes, no one would expect the elevator to be used.

I pressed the button a few times. The door opened, and I ran in, pressing the 16th button. I held the bat, ready to use if anyone was in the way when the elevator doors opened. Unless they were holding guns. That would be pretty bad…

After some sighs and foot tapping, the doors opened when the elevator made a little 'ding'. But before the elevator doors _completely _opened, the lights, from the elevator and the hallway lamps, shut down. The building must've been brought to a voluntary light out. Yes, Sesshoumaru must've called the police, and shut the whole building down.

I jumped out of the half opened doors; afraid the elevators would eventually fall all the way to the first floor, and continued to proceed down the hallway.

Why wasn't anyone in the hall? Oh so ominous…

And then I saw some flashlights from the other side of the passage.

_"The elevator's open! Someone's in there!" _

I quickly dashed to the second door, as the doctor had indicated, before the men got to me. Yes, it was open!

I shut the door and breathed in. My face was horribly sweaty and dusty.

"Mm!!!"

I turned around, ready to hit anyone in the face with my trusty bat…

And came face to face with Naraku.

"Ahh!" I shrilled as he shot at me with his gun. I jumped onto the floor just in time, dropping the bat below the stretcher in the process.

It was dark, but I could make out the vague form. Inuyasha was struggling, well conscious in the binding. He was gagged, and he was aware that Naraku was towering over me, his gun pointed at me. Ready to end my life.

He had his hand on someone.

Kikyou?!

"I knew you would come here." Naraku said, ignoring Inuyasha's struggle with his straps and binding. "So I came and secured Inuyasha to his spot. Funny…I even brought an audience."

Kikyou wasn't happy to be woken up. "Let…go…"

"You're done for, Naraku." I spoke up, still on the floor, but ready to face the enemy. "Sesshoumaru already called the authorities. They know we're here, and they'll be here any minutes. You're done."

Naraku's facial features were masked by the shadows, but it must've been ugly. His voice was fierce when he replied. "This won't be over so easily. I could kill you now, and I could escape. I have many more companies in many other countries. Russia… China… India…the Americas…the world is my playground, and no one could do anything about it. The police could arrest me, but what can they do if all the witnesses are dead and their bodies missing?"

I froze. So helpless on the floor. The bat under the stretcher, out of my reach. He would shoot if I moved…

I knew Kikyou and Inuyasha were listening. Everyone was so quiet…

"I'll blow up the building if I have to. I have the self-destruct mechanism installed, and I'll do what I have to, to escape. All I have to do is kill you all. Your other friends…Miroku, Sango, Kouga, Ayame, Sesshoumaru, and my dear Kagura will be dead. All your bodies will be buried within the debris. No one will ever know the truth. No one will –"

"Let GO!!!" Kikyou screamed, twisting her arm as she kicked him in the shin. His grip must've been tightening as he spoke.

_"Bitch!"_ He pushed her onto the wall and shot.

I heard a yell as a small bullet connected with her back. Kikyou quickly slid face-first onto the floor.

That set Inuyasha off.

"MMMMMM!!!" Inuyasha, with furious force, ripped through the straps and threw himself, and the stretcher, onto the floor.

His legs were still strapped to the steel poles, but he had managed to land right on Naraku as he began to beat the heck out of him with his free arms. A few shots rang, but I'm not sure if it hit any directed targets, because Inuyasha was still pulverizing Naraku.

I grabbed the bat that was now in my reach, and stood up. "Inuyasha! Stop it! We have to get out of here!"

I didn't know if Kikyou was still alive. I didn't know if anyone else was alive, but I didn't have time to worry.

Because the floor suddenly shook.

Inuyasha stopped, pleased that Naraku was now unconscious. "Earthquake?"

_"The floor!"_ I screamed. The girly-scream I never perfected came out and I was suddenly thrown forward, just as I felt a large explosion from the ground level.

A fume of smoke came into my vision, and my legs suddenly felt bare. Not because I didn't have shoes or socks, but because there was no more floors beneath me.

I felt myself falling; falling and reaching for something.

"Inuyasha!"

"Kagome!"

I felt something grab my wrist. I felt myself falling and falling as the building seemed to collapse, debris falling down beside us. Naraku's form disappeared as the ceiling light connected with his head. Kikyou's unconscious body was gone. I didn't know where she went.

All I felt was something sharp hit my head, still in midair, and the last thing I saw was Inuyasha's face, lit by a falling flashlight beside us.

_-In my mind…- _

It's weird…everything's happening so slowly. This _must_ be my memory.

Yes, that's it. I was unconscious, and I was replaying everything that happened before I got in this state.

This was so…unreal. So dream-like…yet, right then…everything made sense.

_- 'Dream/Memory' - _

"Kagome…"

It started as a really serene, peaceful sound. Then it got louder…and louder.

"Kagome!"

My mouth opened – and no sound. I snapped my eyes open, and sat up. I began talking, as if nothing was wrong.

Inuyasha was in front of me. He was trapped under a massive boulder that rested on top of his chest. He was calling out to me. I couldn't hear him. But somehow, I understood.

…this MUST have been a dream. A past dream.

I saw my foot jarred between a stretcher and a large piece of the familiar ceiling. It was easy to slip out of. We were alive. I couldn't quite figure out how we survived.

I turned my head, starting to crawl towards Inuyasha. I was mute and deaf. It was so quiet, yet I understood.

We were on a platform of some sort.

The building had towered over Akihabara, settled over the bustling streets on a hillside. The first 15 floors had been the cushion for the last 15 floors, sacrificing itself to soften the top floor's landing.

We were on the 16th floor when the collapse occurred. We were saved. The others would be pretty much unharmed on the top floor. Someone must've pressed the self-destruct button too soon, not knowing his boss was some floors below them…

I didn't know where Naraku was. I didn't know where Kikyou was.

But I continued crawling towards Inuyasha. He was telling me something.

I crouched over his top half. He spoke to me…but all I heard was 'Kagome'. He seemed to be in pain.

For some reason, tears poured out of my eyes. Tears…as I sat back and reached for Inuyasha's forehead. Something black smeared my hand. Oh great, now I was in a color-blind mode. Everything was gray and black…some specs of white here and there.

Inuyasha squinted at me. He smiled. A sincere smile.

"Kagome…" It was a clear word. My name…he kept on speaking my name.

I spoke. I spoke, not even hearing my own words, but just speaking to Inuyasha, who somehow seemed to understand.

"Kagome." He repeated. He was closing his eyes.

I sat beside Inuyasha, leaning against the unmoving boulder on Inuyasha. I continued speaking those voiceless words and stared up at the starry sky, revealed only by a large hole in the side of the cracked walls. Japanese sky always held stars…

"Kagome…" Inuyasha wondered, also looking at the stars.

The others would find help. The police would come.

I opened my mouth and, it seemed that at that instant, all was back to normal. The colors came back to my sight, my voice was back, and I could hear the heavy gasps of air Inuyasha was trying to intake.

"I…Inuyasha…" I said, now leaning over Inuyasha.

He watched me. "Kagome…go…I'll be fine."

More tears wallowed up, but I smiled back. "No thanks. I'll stay…with you." On my knees and on my hands, I continued staring at the bloody Inuyasha, my head right over his.

"Smoke inhalation…you should go…lots of sharp debris around us…"

"Stop making excuses." I whispered, leaning down further and further until my eyes were directly over his. "Can your hands still move?"

He closed his eyes and gulped. "They're broken…or twisted. Numb."

I leaned back, sitting on my knees and gently caressing his shoulder. "They'll come. We'll be okay. You'll see."

Inuyasha stared up at the sky. "You know…I remember Miroku saying that you hated me, the first time we met and you went screaming away…the oddest girl I ever met…"

"Inuyasha?"

"…and…the time when Kirara was kidnapped…and how I was on the motorcycle…"

"Inuyasha, stop it. Stop acting like you're…"

He grinned. Not a foolish grin – a tired grin, directed at me. "Dying?"

I let out a sob. No more. That was it; I couldn't hold it in anymore. I bent down and settled my head on Inuyasha's shoulder, moving to wrap my arms around Inuyasha's neck. I sobbed. And continued sobbing.

Why was a crying all my tears out for this guy? Why was I still with him, when I still had the chance to get away from all this? Why…?

"Go…leave me be…" He quietly said. "Just…forget me, and leave…the best thing you can do."

"Idiot." I said between sobs. "I'm…I can't…"

"Why?" He demanded. It hurt him to yell.

I looked up at his face with a smile, tears streaming down my eyes and my face covered in dirt from his shoulder. I rubbed my face, mixing the dirt and tears. "You're such an idiot, Inuyasha."

He continued staring at me.

I gave a last sniff, and made sure my face was clean. "Inuyasha…you're the playboy, aren't you?"

He blinked; his silly smile still unfaltering.

"So? Why aren't I attracted to you? Why aren't I all over you like the rest of those…girls out there in the beaches and parks?"

"Do you really care?" He whispered.

I leaned in, my hands gently settled on his arm. "I hate you."

"Shame." He said, and smiled brightly. "Because…_I love you_."

He said it. He actually said it. He said those words that I had ominously wanted him say to me for a long time. Every girl that had a slight attraction towards him would've wanted to hear that.

"Kagome." He noticed how my face was closing in on his. "Kagome?"

"I…" I whispered, both of us already expecting what was to come. "I love…" My lips touched his momentarily. "I love you…too…"

My lips rested on his. My head didn't spin, and I was still aware of where I was. But, for that time, while I gave my heart to this dog, my heart seemed to stop.

Inuyasha tilted his head, opening his lips to roam through mine. Okay…so he definitely went out with a few hundred girls, and he knows how to kiss already. But for some reason, it didn't bother me. I was…happy? Yeah…

I pulled my lips off of his, my face still hovering above his, and looked away. I was blushing. Blushing like a schoolgirl, for goodness's sake!

"Kagome." He said, now his voice sounding a bit huskier. "That…was your first kiss?"

_-2 years later…- _

I woke up.

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**AN: **Shorter chapter? Want me to continue? No luck, pal. But I will give you a special bonus though…and it's not the whole conversation about my flame, but it's about some bloopers that took place while writing this particularly…chaotic chapter. So if you want to skip the whole **Flame Topic**, and immediately find this _bonus_, go down to the **_Bonus Bloopers_**. Enjoy!

-

**Flame Topic;**

What's this? A flame?! Well, today we will discuss a certain review given to me, Double S, as an author for this story. Let's get right to it, shall we?

_From: Agent Sucks _(nice name, no?)

_Not bad. For a person who seems to be illiterate. _

(…?)

_The first of your chapters were childish, and had awful grammar and spelling mistakes. Seeing from the starting date of this fic, it seemed it took you a long time to get a handle on your English. (Since it's nearly your 4th language, that's really an exception.)_

(…well, that is sort of true. Oh, she made an exception for me…how nice -.-)

_And the fact that you seemed to be doing well editing your chapters (starting from chapter 14 or 15) is also another (surprising) plus._

(…she's getting pretty nice…)

_But overall, I'd give 2 ½ stars out of 10 for this fic. A person who actually enjoys this fic is extremely unimaginative and very lost in their head. Maybe I was wrong to call you illiterate, though. You improved, seeing as your grammar and spelling is much better now._

(Okay, I'm getting mixed messages here. The 2½ stars part hurts, but then she goes on telling that the reviewers are basically dumb, and then says I improved. O.o)

_But do as all a favor, and go edit the first few chapters of your story. It makes you sound…dumb._

(…yeah, I can't deny that.)

_Maybe your 'muse' has already come back to give you a boost of energy, but you're pretty lazy not updating as usual as possible. Some of your story are so old; I'd be surprised if anyone remembered them. _

(True. But wait! This Agent/Flamer just made a grammar mistake! Look; _Some of your story -stories- are so old_…so much for being a critic…)

_Either way, your author-skills are of minor talent. I'd be very surprised if you ever became a real author like J.K. Rowling. Or anything like Rosefire1, in fact. (Sorry to compare you with a great author like her. I'm even sorry to mention you in the same sentence with her, in fact. Actually, you should read her some of her fics and see just how awful yours are. You might want to read Harry Potter, also, though you mentioned you were a HP fan – which may prove my point on how unimaginative you are, even after reading those wonderful novels.)_

(This person obviously adores Rosefire1 (and has grammar issues of their own)…-- and here I thought was a free writing area where people can post their stories when they have the TIME TO.)

_Though you may have potential, you have the lack of energy to show it._

(**Aaaaaaaactually**…yeah, that's right.)

_I hope I made myself clear. If you see this as a flame, then fine. The problem is the start of the story – where so many grammar and spelling errors occur. I'm sure you were rushed, but it still makes some people look at this fic as a childish experiment. I only suggest for you to fix it, when you have the time…which you pointedly argue that you don't._

(…okay, so this is the conclusion? Hmm…can't deny that buddy – what with homework and my outside 'life' and everything. Doesn't that just bum you out?)

_(How old are you? 8?)_

(…maybe I am 8. Or maybe I'm not? O.o Why do you ask? He he he.)

_- Your ever so disgusted reader,  
Agent S_

(…what IS with this 'Agent' craze? Are all the flamers now the duplicates of Secret Agent Cody Banks or something?)

Well, Agent S, thanks for being the chosen focus of our **Flame Topic** for today! Oh, and next time, you might want to leave you email address when you _do_ flame. Why? You'll seem more…_respectable_ that way. .

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**Bonus Bloopers! Enjoy!!! **

**_- _**_Before writing - _

Double S: -Enters studio while sipping orange juice from a coffee mug- Now where did I put those scripts…?

-Flicks the switch up, but only a single light turns on by the far side of the vacant lot, leaving the place still pretty much dark-

Double S: Huh?

-A tiny wrinkled form is sitting on a desk-: So, we meet again.

Double S: -Blinks-

Ominous voice: Sesshoumaru is in this storyline, yet somehow, I didn't manage to make the cut? Are you trying to make me…_maaaaaaaaad?_

Double S: …Jaken, is that you? -Walks over and manages to hit her shin on a tabletop- OW!!!

Jaken: Yes, it is I, the humble and _great_ servant of Sesshoumaru. And… -Jumps off of table and walks over…only to trip over few electrical circuit wires that were horribly misplaced- AHHHHH!!!

Double S: What? What's –?

**-KA-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM- **

-

_- The next day - _

Ayame: So, why did we get a day off again?

Sango: Something about an explosion, I guess.

Kagome: Explosion? Wow…was the author some kind of a failed mechanic…?

Sango: -Shrug- All I know is, because of that explosion, the author had to change the whole conclusion of the story, and now we have to fly all the way back to Japan to rehearse this part…or scene.

Ayame: Well, speaking of flying…how's your air mileage?

-The three unwittingly passes a huge crater beside their sidewalk and some policemen that were trying to dig up a reportedly missing 'toad'-

-

_- A week later on the new set - _

_Scene One, Take One _

Guard: Get in there!

Kagome: Oomph! -Jumps away as the door is slammed behind her back- Match…I need a match… -looks around-

Kagome: …-ahem-…

Double S: …

Kagome: …

Double S: …umm Kikyou? Line?

Kikyou: -Painting on a canvas wall behind the set, equipped with a painter's outfit and hat- -Whistling to the tune of London Bridge-

-

_Scene One, Take Two _

Guard: Get in there!

Kagome: Oompha_aaaaaaAA_**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH**_HHHhhhhh-!!!_ -Falls as the cheap flooring beneath her gives way-

Inuyasha: Kagome!

Kouga: Kagome!

Kagome -Far below in the pit of darkness- Get a dang carpenter-!

Double S: -Dials 911- Since she's obviously all right…who wants to order pizza instead? -Gets bombarded with Krispy Kreme Donuts-

-

_Scene Two, Take One _

Kagome: -Gets up as Kikyou groans in the darkness-

Kagome: _Perfect._

Double S: -Observes-

Kagome: -Crawls in the dark, trying to find the bathroom door- -Instead, she goes the wrong direction, crawling off stage and knocking on the fake wall-

-The wall collapses, flattening the food stand-

Everyone but Kagome and Kikyou: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

-

_Scene Three, Take One _

Kagome: -Grabs the air vent lid-

Inuyasha: -Muttering offstage- The author should hire a stuntwoman.

Miroku: Indeed. Kagome's a just another price on the increasing medical bills.

Kagome: -Holds the edge of the vent and climbs in-

-A loud crack emits as she heaves herself in-

Inuyasha: Huh?

-The air vents connected throughout the building of the stage suddenly shudders and tiny scatterings echoes all over the place-

Double S: I hope that's just the sound effects crew…

Kagome: Oh god! Oh GOD, OH **_GOD!!! _**

Kikyou: What – OH MY **_GOD!!! _**

Double S: What are you guys – YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!

-Tiny round things start falling from the air vents- -The girls, with their instincts, immediately jumps up onto the table-

Sango: -Grabs her broom- They're all over the place!!!

Miroku: …fleas? I thought you said this building was never used!!! -Gets accidentally whacked on the head by Sango's broom- ++

Double S: **They're not fleas! THEY'RE RATS!!! _IT'S THE INVASION!!! _**

-

_- After some Technical Difficulties - _

_Scene Four, Take One _

Kagome: -Jumps down the air vent with the lid in hand- -A large puff of smoke falls down with her-

Kagura: Do we stop her?

Double S: No, it'll add up to the humor factor…

Kagura: Well, all right, but –

Kagome: -Sneezes, and causes another wave of smoke to hover over the stage-

Sango and Ayame: Now! -Jumps out from the closet with their brooms…only to stop and start coughing with tears in their eyes- Can't…breathe!

Kagura: Umm…shall we call it off now?

Double S: Hold your horses…this is getting interesting.

-The actresses start coughing, making the smoke hover higher and higher until it starts seeping off of the stage-

Kagura: …now?

Double S: Not until something dramatic happens.

-There's a loud shatter of glass, and a thud, and a loud pop, as if a can was being opened…-

Double S: …there wasn't any glass onstage…

Kagura: Well, there was that emergency exit hatch…

Double S: …and I wasn't informed about this little scheme because…?

Kagura: Everyone knew the hatch only led to the –

-A loud splat echoes from outside-

Kagura: …to the dumpsters.

-

_Scene Five, Take One _

Ayame: -Follows after Sango and gets in the air vent after the signal- Okay, why couldn't I have been in the front?

Kagome: Because this was all _my _idea.

Sango: …

Ayame: …

Kagome: …

Sango: …hey…why did you stop?

Kagome: …I…I think I'm stuck…

Sango: …

Double S: …

Ayame: …whatever you do, don't make any sudden movements…

Double S: …you just had to say that.

Kagura: That's it. I'm going to check on my insurance company and see what they offer…

Sesshoumaru: -On the computer- My computer time.

-

_Scene Six, Take One _

Ayame, Kagome, Sango: Girl Power!!! -Sprays the awesome fizzing power of their soda cans-

Stuntman with the bat: Ahhhh! -Tries covering his face-

Ayame: Fizz him owwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!! -Slips on the puddle of juice and lands on her back-

Sango: -Just as Ayame's falls she jumps for the bat…then slips on the puddle and lands face-first on the wet floor-

Kagome: -Stops- Oh shoot…I'm next… -Inches backwards, then falls on a rogue can and flies off stage-

Inuyasha and Kouga: Kagome!

-The can she was holding hits bull's eye on the sprinkler system, causing a ricochet through the network and starting all the defected sprinklers to spray wildly in the set-

Double S: -Drenched from head to toe- …well, it's better than been covered in mold, right?

-

_Scene Eleven _(skipping 4 scenes since they was pretty much perfect)_, Take One _

Inuyasha: -Stops pretending to pulverize the stuntman acting as Naraku when the stage shakes- Earthquake?

Kagome: _The floor!_

Double S: Okay! Cut! Now let's get the special effects designers out –

Kagome: NO! It IS the floor!

Inuyasha and Kagome: -Falls through a very clumsily boarded up floor with the stuntman- CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD!

Double S: …maybe I SHOULD'VE called that carpenter… -hides the hammer behind her back-

Kagura: …

-

_Scene Twelve, Take One _

Kagome: Umm…-blushes-

Double S: Kagome, we're filming.

Kagome: Yeah, I know, but…

Double S: …

Inuyasha: Hurry it up already. It's not comfortable lying under this boulder…

Kagome: …it's just…I don't think I could…you know…

Double S: …give your first kiss away to your dog rival in a pit fall of sharp debris?

Kagome: …basically, yeah…

Double S: Well, this is show business, bud.

Miroku: Think of this as a chance to show true enlightenment. When one shows true love to another, courtship is ritualized and –

Kagome: -Dashes to bathroom with a red face-

Double S: Do go on, Miroku… -Keeps the camera rolling- I could make money off of this little speech…

-

_- End of the day - _

Double S: …and CUT! Okay, we're done for today.

Inuyasha: -Throws the rubber boulder off of his chest- Man…dang cramps.

Sango: Tell me about it. Crawling in the air vent…bah.

Double S: Well, this story's nearing the end…

Ayame: How many more chapters?

Double S: -Blinks- I think the next one's the last…

Kagura: What do you mean you think? Do you just make the chapters up as you go?

Double S: Well, actually –

Kagura: Never mind. I'm just glad I was unconscious in all the scenes. -Opens the door, and a large bouquet falls from the sky, promptly splattering on her head- What the…?

Crazy fans: Yes! It's Kagura! And Kouga! And FLUFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFYYYYY!

Insane Fanatic #1: Marry me Kagura!

Insane Fanatic #2: Kiss me Kouga!

Insane Fanatic #3: Bear my child Fluffy!

Miroku: …they stole my line.

Sango: I think the real problem here is the fact that the Insane Fanatic #3 is a male, and asked 'Fluffy', another male, to bear HIS child…

Double S: -Watches the crowd fall from the sky and rush over to where the characters were- Dare I say it… **_RUN_****_ FOR YOUR – _**-gets ran over by the mob-


	21. Konnichiwa! Reality Check

All of you were confused last chapter, weren't you?

…

Good…-evil, muffled chuckle-

And now, the last installment of _GET__ A _ _LIFE_!!! Enjoy!

(Explanation and link to the SNOW TUBING chapter X Marks Everything Baby, and even _MORE_ bloopers, after the chapter!)

-

_"Kagome." He said, now his voice sounding a bit huskier. "That…was your first kiss?" _

And that was when I woke up.

I'm not sure if that was supposed to be some kind of a nightmare, or a very realistic embarrassing moment, but when I sat up straight, sweat drenched and strawberry red; I knew I had dreamt something I would never mention to the guy sitting next to me.

It must've been the sudden heat wave that set the alarms off in Miroku's head.

Like the big ADOPTED brother he was, he shut off his radio and turned to grin at me. "So," He whispered in his first-class seat, "Dreaming about **that **again?"

…

I swear…I should've _never_ given in on telling him about my 'problems'. Even if he had threatened to throw my palm pilot off of the skyscraper.

"No." I grudgingly mumbled, and turned the other way. I kept with my promise and sealed my mouth. At least I had the window seat to distract my thoughts.

Honestly, I could practically remember all the details about my dream…it was a reoccurring thing that kept nagging me for the past two years…ever since…_that_,happened. And yes…everyone that was involved in the accident/demise/collapse/the-destruction-of-a-great-company now labeled it, 'that'. Everyone; including the authorities and Sesshoumaru.

"The reunion must be getting to your head, sis." Miroku yawned. "Waking me up during nights; that's pretty acceptable. But even during naps? Major wipeout."

I growled. "We're not in Hawaii anymore. So stop babbling like an idiot."

"You're 17, sis. Pretty much legal." He gave a chuckle, full of merriment. He knew that I knew that he knew that I would know who he would be indicating.

I didn't bite back. Because I noticed, clearly, that this was the first time he was teasing me. Acting like the brother he was supposed to be. Ever since 'that', and the split up with Sango.

Now, to make the long story short, the sweet couple decided it was good not to worry about each other when our very homey group abandoned their pack, and went their separate ways. That happened 2 weeks after 'that'.

But in my mind, the date was also known as a week after they dug up Naraku's body from under a cracked ceiling light; which, inadvertently, ended his life. He hadn't burned, but getting cracked on the head was probably the next best thing on _my_ list.

Ayame had gone back to Hawaii, to see if she could fix up what she left behind. I had completely lost contact with her, and pretty much had no idea if she was coming to our reunion.

Sango was back in Japan, where we were now currently heading towards, and last I heard she was sorting out her family situation. But nothing else out of place after that.

Kouga had went to Australia after Ayame left, saying he was going right back to his stunt job. Time was money, as he had said…which was highly unlike himself.

Kagura had, actually, been arrested right after we all separated, because she had broken the police's agreement over her Protection program. From what I gathered they had released her on the same day, so she didn't spend any overnight stays. I think she had gone back to her program again; because, like Naraku had said before his 'accident'; he had companies all over the globe. Anyone that wanted revenge could hire a hit-man, and be done with her. And she was Naraku's relative, after all.

Sesshoumaru. I had a slight suspicion he helped with Kagura's release terms. Miroku said he had seen Sesshoumaru lit a few cabinets of private files before he had shut the lights down during that fateful escape mission. This probably helped cover up everyone's identity, with an exception towards Kagura.

Miroku was pretty depressed after him and Sango 'broke up'. (Even if they were never officially a couple.) Like I said, this was the first time he was smiling after that. His right hand…well, it had never really healed. Because he hadn't immediately gone to the hospital with the wound, it had gotten infected. It was probably going to be a bit stiff for some time. He was pretty much content, though, and went straight to Florida when we paid our dues, farewells and goodbyes to everyone back in Japan.

…and there was Inuyasha.

My face burned every time I thought about him.

Miroku was the one with a lot of connections, and even he couldn't quite figure out what happened to that dog. I knew Inuyasha had given up his career, and had also been arrested and released like Kagura with his brother's help. But, like Ayame, we had no idea what happened to him after that.

"Kagome…?"

I turned to Miroku. "Huh?"

"I asked what you would be most nervous about. Going back to Japan for the reunion, I mean. It's been 2 years."

I shrugged. I wasn't worried about my family. We had visited Mama, Souta, and Grandpa just last year for Souta's birthday.

"I'm hoping no one forgot our pact." Miroku sighed. "Two years…just like we all agreed."

I nodded. "Two years. The anniversary of 'that'." Yes…we had all agreed to meet each after everyone had enough time to bear with the impact of it all. Two years could be a long time for anyone… "The anniversary…that's tomorrow, right?"

Miroku eyed me. "Yeah…we should be getting to Tokyo by about…oh, during the afternoon in their time zone. Enough time for me to catch up on my sleep too." He smiled at me.

…yes, I've been waking him up at nights when I had my bad share of the reoccurring nightmares. Bad enough until he decided to save up his own money and order suites, so he could actually get up early in the morning.

"How long is the ride to Akihabara?"

Miroku paused in his stretch. The name still held a little spark. He didn't answer.

I shook my head. "You don't have to answer that." I had blurted out for no reason. This was all nerve racking. We were going back to the exact spot to meet our separated group, on the exact day of Naraku's demise. After two years…god, I still had to absorb so much in.

Miroku ordered a can of soda from an attendant. He smiled when she came back, and the attendant left with a blush. He didn't seem to really give that much care for it.

I wondered what everyone looked like…I wondered how I would look to everyone. Well, I had cut my hair, and it was mostly up in a bun all the time…Miroku's hair was a bit longer, and more untamed. I guess I was taller too…let's not talk about my suit, though.

What even Miroku didn't know about was Kikyou. Something so mysterious it probably bugged him to this day.

Yup, no one had being informed about her after the police found Naraku's body, a week after 'that'. No one but me…

And, hopefully, someone else I was admittedly anxious about.

**Get A Life!**

_Konnichiwa! Reality Check_

By: Double S

I nodded as the white, not to mention air conditioned, taxi drove away. I hadn't given much explanation when I left Miroku in the hotel, just near where 'that' took place.

Not one of us, I'm pretty sure, wanted to see the sight until every one of the group was there. That's why Miroku had immediately gone to sleep, and I had asked for the long way to my destination instead of passing that area. Longer drive, more money, happier driver.

I looked at the hospital I was facing.

Kajiyama. The sanitarium of Akihabara.

I took a breath in, and walked up the front steps.

The first thing I noticed when I went in through the sliding glass doors was how cool, and sort of homelike, the walls were. I think some people exaggerated the whiteness of hospitals. I mean, the inner rooms must be pretty white, but the lobby was pretty colorful. Almost child-like.

I fiddled with my purse, and checked my watch. It was nearly 9 PM. A bit late for my appointment, but it would have to do.

"Yes?" The secretary looked up from her phone as I approached. My suit gave the business vibe. "Can I help you?"

For a moment, just a moment, I had a flashback of Ayame. Then Kagura's face. And I was back to reality to the face of the REAL secretary. "Ah, yes. I made an appointment with…Kikyou?"

First names. Probably threw off my adult look and my lawyer-like stature. Well, I hadn't ever heard of Kikyou's last name…and that probably didn't make me sound intelligent.

The old woman nodded nonetheless, and held up a finger. "Okay, please hold on."

I backed up a bit, waiting for her to finish her conversation. Another mistake of mine. _The rule_ - always sit when someone's on the phone. Oh well. I was trying to hold my shaking hand.

The woman finally hung up, and looked through her list with a pen equipped in her right hand. "Ah yes…well, visiting hours are over. But since you've made an appointment…Kikyou…she's free today, so we'll make an exception…yes, the patient's in the garden. You'll need a guide to open the security doors…Taichi?"

A male, around 20, came in from the office. "Yes, Tashimi-san?"

"Could you lead the visitor to the garden? I know the visiting hours' over, but she made an appointment…please go through the quiet hall as well."

"Yes Tashimi-san."

The male took an ID card, and gave a visitor's pass to me. 'Just in case', he had said. I guess people still noticed how I had similar features like Kikyou's.

The 'quiet' hall was more like a snoring zone. Every patient in all the rooms were napping, resting, or loudly sleeping on their wheelchair or couch. I guess it was better than going through halls with people wailing or bawling…

'Taichi', again, used his ID card to open the locked swinging doors, just as he had used it to open the doors leading through the hallway.

The garden, as they called it, was a large cubical area, build within the hospital without any ceiling and revealing the sky. Seeing as today was a bright spring day, a few people lounged by; either sitting on benches or sauntering along the overshadowed corners.

"The patient should be over by the fountain in the center of the garden. She's in a wheelchair."

I nodded as he held the door, and I entered alone. There were two councilors sitting by the benches. I guessed they were sort of those security guards for the patients, or the baby-sitters for the visitors. I noticed there were a lot of cameras moving from side to side, recording everything it saw. I ignored it, and walked over towards the sprinkling fountain.

The garden seemed pretty peaceful. But the walls made the place…artificial. It practically ruined the spring mood.

And there she was. 19, silky haired, pale faced…peaceful eyes. Sitting in a wheelchair as told, and staring at the trickling water with a serene look. She didn't turn when I walked over to her side. But she knew I was there. I just knew that she knew that I was there.

…

"Long time no see." I lightly smiled. I didn't expect a respond. I just had to know…

"Two years."

I blinked. Oh. So she spoke…

"It's been nearly two years. And now I get a visit from someone else." She turned to me, not bothering to move her wheelchair. She looked – no, she _stared _at me. "Well…you've changed."

I looked down at my suit. My purse. My hair. "Yeah…so have you."

Kikyou kept staring at me. She really did look beautiful, even if she was in a wheelchair. Intelligent even; probably to the extent of knowledgeable and wise. I couldn't believe this was the same girl tortured before 'that' happened. "Well, no make-ups on my face." She turned back to the water. I guess she was done.

I sighed. "It was nice to see you. After such a…long time." I waited for any response. I did feel guilty for coming here after a long time of absence. But she could learn to lighten up a little…but, without many visits…

Wait…she said she got a visit from _someone else_.

…as you noticed, I do a lot more thinking now.

I turned to Kikyou after a minute of silence.

She stared at the water.

I turned away, about to leave with sagged shoulders.

"Inuyasha."

"Ah?" I tilted my head.

"Inuyasha…came earlier today." She turned, and gave a faint, but an extremely rare smile. "You missed him this afternoon." A simple statement; and she turned back to the water. She had known why I came.

…

So he HAD kept track of Kikyou!

But…

Did that mean he kept track of me – I mean; everyone else too?

-

_Tap, tap, tap, tap… _

"Miroku…"

_Tap, tap, tap, tap… _

"Miroku." I said, more firmly but still calmly. "What now? Didn't get a good enough sleep last night?"

The soundless rails beneath us made the silence in the train even more nervous. It wasn't a magnet train, but it was still noiseless than most we've been on overseas.

My 21-years old brother stopped tapping his finger on the window and clucked his tongue. "Just nervous…maybe it would've been better if we'd planned to meet in our shrine…"

"Yeah, and have Souta and Grandpa bug us to get autographs for them?"

"Good point."

I leaned on the soft cushion of the seat. "Be glad we actually found a peaceful shrine. You of all people should know how disrespectful it is to try and rent a holy place…_ever_."

"At least we got the deal." He shrugged. "Money makes the world go round, right?"

"_So_ not." I grudgingly replied. Hasn't that been what Kouga had said? Yeah…we all grew up…we all made our goals towards the business industry.

Like how I had.

Shirokami Temple. A few hours out of the border of the technological streets and into the land of peace and quiet. Sakura and temples.

The odd thing was, we had gotten a phone call just this morning, from the owner of the temple, and had been quite warningly notified that we were going to have to bump our time of the usage of his land. Much, much earlier than originally appointed.

So, we were heading there. For apparently no reason. It was supposed to be that special resting spot the two of us picked out, so everyone would have a place to rest after sightseeing where 'that' took place.

But…since we did make a large deal renting that place, we would just have to go and sightsee to rest our minds. Maybe we needed that.

The type of temple we were heading to was slightly different than Grandpa's Tokyo shrine. It was…bigger, for one thing, and it had its own Koi pond. (Remember that a pond in Japan respectively meant a tiny little Well-sized water hole. Nothing you can't fit in a backyard.)

It even had a little tiny trickle of a creek that ran down from a mouth of the fish statue near the entrance. The entrance was grand, and revealed just what the visitors would see. Of course, for the morning, we were going to be renting it.

A few more minutes in the train, two more hours in the taxi, and we were finally there.

Okay, so the description I had of the temple was a vague one; something from a brochure. To simply put it; it was more serene and grand than how the picture had shown it.

It was the blossoming season. Meaning lots and _lots_ of blooming Sakura petals falling from the ripened trees. It just made the temple all that more old and luxurious looking.

"Are we allowed to enter?" Miroku asked after a few minutes off the cab and staring at the ground foundation.

It was large. No long staircase like the one back home, but it was still the size of a mansion. Or a castle.

"Umm…I guess. I'm sure the owner's expecting us…"

I could just imagine a hermit-looking man walking out of the looming architecture.

We ignored the 'Closed' sign, and entered unceremoniously under the towering symbol of 'Tranquility'. It was really odd, being back in Japan, I mean. Small food size, tiny cars, narrower streets…I just felt so fat and big after going around the world, and then some.

Miroku gave a low whistle after a short hike towards the back part of the temple. We hadn't paid the man for the rent just yet, but a promise, honor, and all that meant so much in Japan. Suddenly canceling an already agreed rent day was of high rudeness.

But, then again, so was unexpectedly calling a person on a cell phone at 4 o'clock in the morning, and informing them that the rent time was moved earlier with no explanation.

"I'm almost jealous that we're not living here."

Right…big yard, a large cement ground…almost perfect for soccer teams.

_Clip, clop, clip, clop… _

"What's that sound?"

_Clip, clop, clip, clop… _

"Wooden sandals…" Miroku mused, probably remembering the old times when I used to wear them during festivals.

I slowly turned around, expecting the owner or the wife to come around the corner and greet us ever so politely. I swear – Japanese people had such policies for politeness, they forgot how to be friendly. It's so…ironic.

What I hadn't been expecting was for a girl to come. A girl about my age.

With brown chestnut hair hanging from her single, long ponytail…

Emerald eyes…

And those kabuki eyebrows…

…that one, familiar Japanese (Ayame) flower behind her ear…

"Ayame?!"

Yes, Ayame. Ayame, wearing her thin band around her forehead, rushing towards us with her mossy green kimono and holding a pair of running shoes in her hands.

"Kagome! Miroku!" She called, her chipper voice so familiar, yet so foreign. There was something in her voice…_maturity_.

When she approached us, I realized she was taller now. Almost tall as how Kagura had been…nearly Miroku's height, but somewhat shorter in comparison.

She gaped at me. I gaped at her. She gaped at Miroku. He gaped at her.

Time had done its best to change us all into grownups.

-

"So it was all a hoax." It was a statement. Not a question.

Ayame giggled nervously. "Well, I thought it would be funny if I told my grandfather to call you guys earlier. To add a quality of…surprise?"

We were back in the quiet train ride, going ALL the way back to our first intended destination. This was getting tiresome, to say it in the least.

"What a joke." Miroku yawned. "Well, if you girls don't mind, I'll be going back to my beauty sleep."

"Better look best for Sango, right?"

He only twitched at my remark, and kept his eyes closed.

"So," Ayame smiled and looked at my casual jeans and extra large shirt. "You've been busy, I presume?"

I didn't want to talk about it. I felt so old seeing her childish demeanor…there I go again, using words I never used before…

"How about you?" I grinned. "I thought you weren't Japanese…and the last time I knew, you wanted to be a singer or an American Idol or something."

"Well, turns out I didn't have a sense for music. And I was never _told_ about my history." She stuck her tongue out and stared out the window. "My great grandfather was a very wealthy, and very young, Japanese businessman. But he married, or got hitched with a foreigner, against his lineage, and settled in California. Turns out his parents literally kicked him out when they heard he wanted to marry a girl different than the one they planned for him. They owned the temple too. My grandfather finally learned about it after I went to Hawaii, and when I went back to my old place to get my job back, my boss said I could go back to my old family so he could hire someone else."

I raised my eyebrow. "Well, no wonder Miroku lost contact with you."

She shrugged. "Yeah…I've been living here in the temple. I would've contacted you, but I was just so busy babysitting my siblings. At least the temple ground's big enough for them to burn their energy."

"Is that why your grandfather switched the rent time so abruptly? Because you were busy and you just found out about the rent today?"

"Actually, last night more like. My grandfather mentioned couple of young 'sports' people were coming to rent this place for a high price the next day. When he mentioned your name, I went ballistic."

"So, you thought it would be better to call us in the early hours than the late hours?"

"…I sort of forgot you were a morning person."

I only eyed her wearily.

Miroku jumped out of his seat when we jerked him out of his sleep, just as the speakers announced our approach to our destination.

The three of us decided to walk through the already crowded streets of Akihabara. I was still getting used to the gigantic pack we had to travel in; like a school of strangers traveling in a group.

This was like old times again. The first time Ayame, Miroku and I met was when a crowd of fanatic girls had chased us into the traveling truck…

The truck was now sold off. We were probably never going back to Hawaii, and the same fame was beginning to ebb away…

"– well, at least it's not a tourist's attraction…"

I noticed Ayame and Miroku, a bit ahead of me, standing a little ways off of the now practically deserted street. The street…

_I held back a tear. My ankle. This time, it was really broken. _

_And yet, my lips were warm. _

_Still warm from my first kiss…or maybe because the flashlights shining at me from the police were burning a hole in my tongue. Where was the rest of our crew? Were they in stretchers too; getting rushed to the hospital and away from the disaster area? _

_Away from…from what happened. Away from…yes, I'll call it 'that'. Where 'that' took place. _

_…oh, my head. Too much flashing lights…gosh, I hope this isn't some disco night and I'm dreaming all this. _

I snapped out of my flashback. Yup…I could even remember my own thoughts after 'that' happened.

"I heard this place stayed a restricted area even a whole year after 'that'." Ayame stared at the spot, where the once great structure had been constructed on. Trees surrounded the quiet street.

No cars, no city noise. They were all below us, beneath our foot and the hill.

"I presume you haven't been here until now, too?" Miroku also stared.

It was more of a crater. Or a large space surrounded by trees. A bare spot among the woods. Yes, that was more like it. A bare spot of solid surface with nothing on top. Just like how I felt at that moment.

So many memories. So many memories of how I left it all behind. Including Inuyasha.

So we stayed there. We stayed on that exact spot, waiting for something. Waiting for someone to come and greet us. Waiting for our old group to be reunited.

After two hours, no change. Except for the part where we found a green bench to sit near the 'that' area.

We had a long talk. A very long, and a very detailed talk, to be exact.

You should've seen the look on Ayame's face when she heard Miroku had retired his sports career…nearly 10 months ago.

"Why?" She had asked. "I didn't think taking care of my siblings would make me less aware of the social world…but man…"

Miroku smiled. "I'm 21 now. I think the sports industry would've gotten tired of me either way."

The real reason? Sango, Sango, and _Sango_. He wanted more time to think things over. He wanted to get away from the past. We all wanted to start over. I think Ayame's kimono could be a good example; instead of that skimpy bikini or the secretary's dress she used to wear, I mean.

"We're still going to have to pay for your grandfather's place, right?"

"Oh, no! When he heard that I knew you guys, he told me to convince 'those odd siblings' to keep the place without any charge for the day."

"Convince? Anyone would agree to that!"

"The catch is; you got to let my family stay on the grounds while it's your renting time."

"Why not?"

"Well, if you guys were strangers, you wouldn't like seeing a giant pack of kids running around the place. Besides, it's hard enough traveling to a hotel with those guys…"

"Hmm…sounds like Miroku, when you put all the kids together."

Miroku coughed. "That's so sweet, sis…but you know…?"

I waited for him to continue…I thought he was going to mention what happened back in Illinois, but his sentence was never finished.

Because another taxi showed up.

If I had looked at the driver, I would've noticed he was the same guy that had driven us from the airport to Akihabara, what with the strange cap that overshadowed half his face; but I was too stunned to notice that.

Because I was staring more intently at the backseats, equally speechless with the two others at my side.

The first man that walked out of the car had an obviously unshaven chin, with a thick amount of ponytail swinging from shoulder to shoulder. It was shorter than I remembered, but he was still equipped with his headband, and his eyes were still as sharp as ever.

Except…he was also tanned. VERY nicely.

"Kouga…" Ayame and I choked out. But Miroku was intently staring at the second passenger.

The girl, wearing a jean dress and a tank top, stepped out a bit cautiously. Her long hair was exactly the same length, except now her hair that was kept down didn't have the end tied, making her hair sway to the wind as wildly as imaginable. Her sparkling eyes met with Miroku's eyes for a momentarily, and immediately averted with a blush.

"San…go…" Miroku whispered. He was as stiff as a stone.

I should've noticed how the cab driver was so oddly patient. He stayed sat on his seat. Quietly. Almost insignificantly.

And we all stood. Staring at one another.

Staring…

Staring…

Staring…

Then a leaf fell between my eyes, and I coughed, waving it away. That seemed to wake everyone up.

"Umm…Miroku." Sango looked up at him. "Hi…"

What no one else knew, or at least suspected right then, was how nervous Sango was. More so than Miroku. Why? Because I've been getting and sending back emails with her for the last two years. Yup; I was lying about nothing significant happening between me and Sango.

She didn't look at me, but I knew what she was thinking.

_Was Kagome lying about Miroku not getting hitched with anyone else after I said my farewells with him? Oh god; does he have a kid? Does he have an engagement ring around his finger?_

How did I know this? Because this was what Sango had basically asked me…every stinking start of ALL her emails sent to me. Oh, she wasn't this haste in her questions…but it was too obvious.

And another thing that I was keeping from both Miroku and Sango was that I knew something I shouldn't have.

This morning, I had unpacked the wrong bag, revealing a shiny black box inside Miroku's knapsack. (And also a smiley faced boxer…but let's not go there.) Inside the little box was a ruby ring. I would've expected a pearl for an engagement ring…then again; I wasn't the one getting proposed.

As you could've imagined, I was practically…excited enough to do the blitz when the silence began to subside.

The driver coughed. "…" Yes, the silence was his speech.

I walked towards his side of the car. "Here's the –"

"Take it." It was a quick whisper. He took the money. Then, delicately, slipped a FIVE THOUSAND (yen) with his sharp nailed fingers into my stretched hand.

"What?" I asked.

"Open. Read." He leaned his head, so that I could see his eyes directed at me and my four companions.

Golden eyes.

"Sesshoumaru?!" I hissed.

His nod was his only reply.

I turned to Sango and Kouga, who had taken out their bags from the back, and gave them a very, very confused look. They frowned at my expression.

They had no idea what had happened until the taxi drove away as swiftly as a blink of an eye.

"That…that!!!" I pointed to the disappearing car behind me. "That…-!"

"…you know, taking photographs from here and there. Traveling around Britain, then going back to Australia to rest with the animals…"

"Rest? Seems like the wolf aged, eh?" Ayame smiled a toothy smile.

Kouga chuckled. A bit nervously, but more with his ego pride. All this time, and Ayame **still **never found out about the lemon kiss incident…someone really should tell her…

And it wasn't going to be me.

"Guys!!!" I whispered furiously. "Guys!!!"

"– split the cash with Inuyasha, then separated our ways half a year after 'that'. I just came back from a vacation in Beijing with my brother, and I left him there with Kirara, and my Uncle and Aunt for the rest of the vacationing time. Everything's back to normal with my family, and I just started directing a little studio. I met Kouga at the airport in Tokyo, so we shared a cab." Sango scratched her head as she joined in the greetings with Miroku and Ayame.

"GUYSSSSSSSSSS!" I bit my tongue, rocking from side to side.

"What?" Miroku turned to me. "Don't tell me you got stung by a bee just when we're all here again!"

…the bee incident. Something I told him never to talk about after what happened, or else I would have to kill him for it. And now I had to kill him for it.

But that would have to wait for a second.

"The driver…the driver…the driver!!!" I grabbed Miroku's arm and shook it while jumping like an excited lunatic.

"What? What did the driver…hey, he gave you money?" He noticed the yen in my hand.

"It was Sesshoumaru!" I indicated for the others to join the conversation.

"Where?" Ayame blinked.

"The driver! It was Sesshoumaru!"

"Yeah right." Kouga gave me a raised-eyebrow-smirk. "After two years, and you're still acting crazy."

…I swore Kouga had just acted like Miroku. A big brother. ANOTHER **BROTHER**!!!

"No! Look! Look!" I showed them the piece of paper stuck in the folded fifty, and unfolded the clump. "Read! It's…it's…Kagura's handwriting?"

Silence fell, and we all bowed to look at the paper.

_To Priest, Wolf, Dog, and the rest of the crazy bunch; _

_I'm sorry I can't make it to the reunion. Stuck in _ _Paris__ (not that I'm complaining much). The best part? I'm able to study a course in acting and literature! Like a dream come true. It's amazing here. Lots of good food too. And people weren't kidding about all the couples here; it's like dating is the community's ritual or something. Thankfully, I'm still single. Anyway, I hope I can see you guys in the future. I can't say much, because my dear _roommate_ doesn't want me saying too much – but between you and me, I'm guessing the _messenger_ will be able to deliver this letter by the anniversary date. _

_Yours truly, _

_Wendy Wind _

"…wait…roommate?" Ayame spoke first after a few more seconds of reading.

"This is definitely Kagura's handwriting." Sango stood up straight. "Wendy Wind…her new name?"

" Paris…she's still in the Eyewitness Protection Program?" Kouga stated. "I thought the police would think of something else after they realized it failed the first time."

"I'm guessing this messenger and roommate is one in the same?" I quirked.

"Sesshoumaru." We all muttered with a grin in unison.

"He's keeping an eye on her?" Ayame, with the same grin, giggled. "That's so nice…and going undercover so he could send this personally; it's almost like they really did make it to the reunion."

"You know…I did hear rumors that the famous Fluffy actor disappeared when he was 'kidnapped', and a guy that looked a lot like him was found in a police squad near France…"

"The Tabloid?" I asked, knowing what Miroku was talking about. "It's amazing how they just poke around to concoct fake stuff, and sometimes lands bull's eye on an unintentional target…"

"Coming here knowing the program wouldn't have allowed any outside contacts with Kagura's secret info…seems like Sesshoumaru changed after two years…"

"Yeah." I smiled at Kouga.

"I didn't say that." He blinked.

I turned to Miroku. "Did you just make that comment…?"

"No…"

"Well then it had to be a male…"

Sango looked back. "…guys?"

A Sakura petal fell from one of the trees.

I straightened up and looked through the thickets of the trees. I looked at the guy with the leather thong around his silver hair, and slinging a bag over his shoulder.

"I also heard that Rin and his servants moved to France just last year." He smirked, particularly at me.

I stared back; unaware that everyone else was eyeing me.

"Inuyasha…" I whispered.

He shrugged with a teasing sigh. "Looks like I made it after all."

-

When world peace would be achieved. When people will evolve into species with wings and fins. When mimes finally learned to _get a life_ and use their vocal cords for once in their 'explanations'.

That was when I would actually submit to my feelings. That was when I would learn to get on with my life and try to live the fantasy I always dreamt about.

That would be the day.

Lunchtime was quiet. Peaceful, but too quiet.

I eyed the people when deserts came. Green Tea Ice Cream.

Ayame with her wistful serenity.

Sango with her closet-romanticizing.

Kouga with his adult dexterity.

Miroku with his goals for the future.

Inuyasha…

Me…

Something that made me uncomfortable to the core. He had become a small company owner. Small, being the keyword. To him, it was just one of his father's companies that didn't need much care or an exact boss. He had gone back to his family, gone through a crazy chase around the world trying to tie things back together, and gotten back to Yokohama (where his family's mother company stood) and took a course in engineering. Overall, in his words, it was a waste of time.

That was when I noticed how the group was affected by him. How I was affected by him.

Compare me with Ayame. Her childish happiness and youth all tucked and folded under her, controlled and released whenever she pleased. And there was me…a full grown premature adult born from the same incident that had aged so many of our group.

But when Inuyasha, who was obviously older than I, entered our reunion, everyone seemed to…well, lose their wrinkles.

…and yet, I still stayed mature. I watched the others mess around with each other's hairs, pull their sleeves while saying things like 'my mom would _really _like this' as we walked down the street. The image of how we were two years ago seemed to fit the pieces that were missing from the puzzle.

There was one missing. And that was with me; walking through the street a further back from the loud shouting group of 'teens'.

Teens…I was 17 now. I had passed through my sweet sixteen like just another breeze of a birthday. I had missed the chance of a lifetime.

And I still didn't have a life.

It was much later in the day, after a long time in the train and choosing to walk to Ayame's temple, that I realized how pessimistic I had grown to be.

Kouga blew a low whistle when we got through the large entrance. "You live here now? Nice."

Ayame shrugged. "My home's a little way through the temple and backed up near the trees. It's quiet…if you can keep the kids to go to sleep."

He chuckled, and continued to look around.

Ayame gave a distorted frown. "Kouga…I was saying it literally."

"What?" He turned around, looking down at her. He made her look like a child standing so straight and tall like that. "What do you mean, _literally_?"

An evil, evil grin. "Well, there was a **certain **price for renting the temple," – insert a glare from Kouga to me and Miroku – "And there was a matter of _scores _we never got to settle between you and me." She fisted her hand and waved it carefully in front of Kouga's nose.

"But one of the reasons I came here was to take pictures of –"

"I know, I know…the whole 'Life in Japan' for your freelancing journalistic photographing thingy. I'll tell you about this temple, while you help me feed, play, and tell bedtime stories to my brothers and sisters. Okay?"

Ayame promptly took Kouga by his vest collar and started dragging him towards the vast wooded areas, where the cement steps led to the back of the temple. "You guys walk around and enjoy yourselves! Don't you dare leave-!"

"Oh crud…" Kouga muttered after her happy-go-lucky yelling, and disappeared behind the grounds.

With my heightened sense of suspicions sharpened from the last two years, I noticed the fact that I was alone with Inuyasha. I _knew_ I was going to be alone with Inuyasha, to be matter-of-fact.

Because Miroku was going to…well, from the bulge in his pocket, I knew it was that same black box I saw inside his bag. He was ready to bring out the question. He was going to take his last risk, and get ready to settle down; once and for all.

"Ah…Sango?" He smiled at her. Nervously.

"Yeah?"

"Could…do you want to, I mean, look around the Sakura trees? The blossoming process is today…" His smile was getting sheepish.

"…umm, o-okay…"

Inuyasha frowned and started along with them, but I stayed put and grabbed his sleeve.

"You know, we'll just go the other way…look around the pond, I guess."

Sango and Inuyasha gave me an odd look, while Miroku, slightly hesitant, mouthed me a quick 'arigatou', and chuckled when Sango turned to follow him.

Before they were out of sight, Sango gave me a confused look, and I gave two thumbs up with a cheesy smile.

Inuyasha watched me gave that expression until Sango and Miroku were gone. Actually, until two minutes after they were gone.

"Why are you still smiling?"

Because I was now officially alone with Inuyasha; just like how I had predicted. Just like how I was dreading the most out of this day.

"Just…happy."

He eyed me warily. "Right. It might've been two years, but I think I would still remember at least the odd bits out of you."

"Perfect."

"What was that?"

"Nothing." I mumbled, turning with a fake yawn. "I'm tired. I'm going to follow Ayame and –"

"Hold it." He grabbed my wrist. "I want an explanation."

With a shudder of a sigh, I let him lead me to the other side of the temple, near the stream that followed from the fish statue that widened enough to be a perfect miniature river. This day would've been really sunny and perfect if Inuyasha wasn't dominating over me…

…since when did I get the better of me?

"– and you found the ring in Miroku's bag?"

"Mm? Oh, yeah. It was in his bag…" I looked away, staring at the water as we stopped, and he finally let my wrist go. I hunched up and leaned over the side. Sakura petals were fluttering down the river, the lush grass, and the pebbles that made this part of the pathway. Peace…

"Miroku…propose." He muttered the two words, as if trying to add them together.

"You know," I cut him off, "Miroku's adopted."

"Mm?"

"Miroku's the one who's adopted." I looked up at him as he leaned down to my face level. "Two years ago, he told you guys I was the adopted one…"

"That was a joke." He grinned. "I knew he was adopted before I learned he had a sister. He told us that morning about how he always pestered his 'little sister', and how we should join in the fun. It was all a joke."

…a…joke…?

It was all a joke?!

"A joke?" I hissed at him, mustering a practiced death glare. "It's been bugging me for the past two years about how you got it wrong about me, and you never bothered telling me?" I said it so quietly only his high sense of hearing could pick it up. And he wasn't one bit nervous.

"Oh by the way," He changed the subject, "I heard from Kikyou this morning that you visited her last night?"

…he just had to bring her up right now. I mean, I didn't hate her or anything. It's just; every time I thought of her, I thought of Naraku. And then I would think of…'that' again. Then Naraku, then 'that' again, until it was an endless cycle and I would make myself go to sleep. Then I would dream about…what happened with me and Inuyasha…

"You've been visiting her, then?"

I looked back at the water's reflection of me. So adult-like. My hair was up in the same old bun. "It was my first time. I just recently found out where she was staying at."

Inuyasha nodded. "Yeah; like you, it took me some time to even figure out she was alive. You know, she seemed more cheerful this morning. More cheerful then usual, I mean."

"Really?" I didn't really think about my impact on Kikyou. "So you guys are going steady?"

"…steady?"

Was I jealous? Heck no…but somewhere in my subconscious mind, this must've been bugging me for quite some time.

"What do you mean steady? Dating?" He scrunched his nose before I could reply. "I told you before; we're friends. Long childhood friends. The only time she seemed like my girlfriend was when those 'drugs' were in her nervous system. And she's off that stuff now – off of it for good."

Kikyou. My mind seemed to rest. I was calm now – knowing the fact that she was going to be just fine. And probably the fact that he was…free? Single?

"So, what've you been up to, lately?"

That struck a cord. A low cord.

"Err…"

"Anything unusual? Something worth telling your old pal?" He nudged me on my shoulder and rested his arm halfway on my shoulder. Like he was going to embrace me, or he was just resting his arm because he was tired…or for some other reasons I couldn't think of.

There was something…but should I tell him? Yes…he had been truthful with Kikyou and him – I mean, it was the fact that it wouldn't hurt anyone if I told him. Yeah, that's what I'll believe.

"Well, something did happen when I was in Florida…"

"Oh? Details please?" He kept his arm on my shoulder…somewhat.

I took a deep breath, and told him. EVERYTHING.

I told him how Miroku had quit his career, followed by an onslaught of crazy fanatics stocking him from day to day until a month later, when we moved and hid away in Illinois for a while. How Miroku decided to teach ABC (American born Chinese), and American born Japanese, their oriental language for part time payment in the Asian community service. How he had decided I should chase the dream I wanted. How I managed to get myself in the business world, trying to learn the skills to become a businesswoman.

And…how I had been approached by one of Miroku's students. A student that was learning Japanese, whom I had dated for nearly five months, who had apparently thought we made an intimate couple, and had also, incidentally, proposed to me…

"I had to keep myself busy…" I mumbled when I mentioned about the dating. I noticed his arm was off of me.

There was a very uncomfortable silence that followed.

"…you know; I got stung by a bee when I told the guy I had to think about it…" The bee incident. I wanted to lighten the mood a bit.

Then a chuckle came from him. A very **awkward** chuckle.

"So…you dated while I was gone, huh?"

My throat seemed to close up, and I couldn't even breathe correctly.

"I guess you weren't the only one keeping yourself _busy_."

I cleared my throat. "You…dated while I was…mm, away, too?"

"Well, my face was known when I became the boss of my company. I never officially quitted my old job, but it's still all hushed up. Girls come to you either way, and I pretty much got along with them."

"Oh…oh, how nice…"

I never realized just how intensely Inuyasha was staring at me. "So?"

"So what?"

"Did you accept his proposal?"

"Oh…umm…well, I couldn't refuse, since he was a nice –"

"Where's your ring then?" Inuyasha stared coolly at me.

"Would you listen?" I rubbed my bare fingers though. "Like I already said; I told him that I wasn't sure about it. I didn't accept his proposal…but I didn't refuse it either. It's…been a few months now. And…he's expecting a call from me…"

Inuyasha watched me.

And watched me.

And watched me.

And so on…

"What?!" I yelled at him, getting extremely shaky from his stare. What did he want from me?!

"What's your _answer_?"

"…I…"

"Well?"

"…I…"

"…"

"…"

"Kagome, you're going to have to answer some time."

"…I don't know…I just had to see you first…"

It was so crazy. And it was true. Because I didn't have a life ahead of me; I was hopelessly stuck.

Inuyasha, surprising me again, laughed. "So, you want my opinion, huh?"

Was that relief in his voice? "Umm…well…I…"

"Here's what I think!"

And you know what he did? Do you want to guess?

He pushed me into the river! The cold stream of water, for crying out loud!

Just picture a quiet, peaceful sky with Sakura petals falling from the trees, then a high pitched scream, and a very loud splash. Followed after that was a wave of joyful laughter.

"Inuyasha!!!" I screamed when I gathered myself up and stood from the water. Half my body was still in it, and I was trying to stand up on tiptoes because of the chill. It wasn't winter, but it wasn't summer either. Not the best time for a cold bath.

But he had already jumped into the water beside me.

"Inuyasha, stop!" I yelled when another onslaught of splash caught me off guard. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"Showing you what I think about your proposal!" He brought down his hand on the surface of the water, and smacked a large wave of water on my waist.

"That's cold!"

"And that hairstyle!" Inuyasha approached me; grabbing my shoulder and reaching down for the hair pins. "You look like my aunt!"

I stayed speechless. By the way he was standing in front of me and taking out the pins from my hair, it was like he really was about to…wait; did he grow taller?

My hair slipped as one by one, the hair pins fell into the water.

"Just like before…" He whispered, leaning down and fiddling with the wet hair of mine. "That's much better…"

"Inuyasha. I…"

He smiled brightly. "C'mon. At least try to act like your old self. Maturity isn't a good thing for you."

He bent down to my face, settling his face above mine. For a moment I really thought he was going to…to…

"You know, I think I see a wrinkle."

"You jerk!!!" I brought my fist out and punched him square in the gut.

Yes, he never expected that. He went down into the water, making a large wave subsiding into the grass. And before he had the chance, I jumped into the water after him, and we were suddenly wrestling underwater, trying to take the dominant role.

I was trying to strangle Inuyasha.

I didn't even realize what Inuyasha was intending to do until it was too late.

As I grabbed Inuyasha's collar, he yanked on my sleeve and flipped me over with a horrendous 'splat', and had enough time to say –

"Feisty, aren't we?"

And hastily gave me the hardest kiss I could've imagined.

…I have the right to say I was unimaginative, because I was fighting wildly, trying to get some kind of air through my throat. I was underwater, his fingers were around my throat, and he was kissing me wildly while he floated over me.

I was red when he finally let go and brought me back to the surface. I coughed, hot, tired, out of breath and trying to catch air.

And yet Inuyasha insisted on wrapping my waist with his arms.

"I hope your 'boyfriend' back in Illinois never did that."

He was crazy. He was insane. And I think he was horny…it was just a suggestion.

"Too…tired…to…" I stopped, resting my head on his chest, my back against him and looking up at his face.

"Well, what do you say?"

"Mm?" I continued panting.

"You can come to my company. My dad will probably give you permission to become the CEO, or something. House, wealth…ha! Maybe even kids?"

…I think I stopped breathing.

Did he just…propose to me?

"Now Kagome, you're going to have to dial the guy's number and tell him you're already taken."

"Wait, what?" I turned around, staring at him. His grip on my waist was strong. "I didn't even accept your…proposal or whatever!"

He cocked his innocent head to the side. "It was just suggestion."

I stared.

…I think I already chose my answer before he even popped the question. Well, this wasn't really a question, as he said…but…I think, I really think this was how –

"Whoop! Look at the lovemaking, baby!"

Inuyasha and I snapped my head to the grass, where the audience all stood and watched the entertaining episode of my life.

"C'mon! We want more love-!" Kouga howled with Ayame rubbing her temple beside him.

"Guys, you know you woke up my sisters with that loud splash?" She complained. "They're practically trying to climb over the brick wall wanting to see what's going on!"

Miroku stood with a stupid grin on his face, his arm around Sango's shoulder. She was smiling. Smiling with a red face. He had popped the question, and she had a happy expression…

Who wanted to bet Sango would be pregnant with twins by the time their wedding came by?

I looked at Inuyasha while he fumed.

"Inuyasha?" I asked with a sweet voice.

"Huh?" He snapped out of his rage and frowned down at my innocent eyes. "What?"

"It's a definite yes."

He froze; speechless that I had the courage to answer in front of everybody.

"Of course, until you get me an engagement ring; _I'll_ be the one pulling all the legs!" I jumped away from his embrace and grabbed each of Sango and Ayame's legs, yanking and pulling them into the water in a matter of seconds.

"No fair!" Inuyasha yelled in the middle of all the shrieks and threw himself on the grass, taking a hold of Miroku's ankle and Kouga's shoes, both already knowing what would happen to them. "My turn!"

Another loud splash, yells, and not it was all fun and game in the war of water fighting.

"Oh shit!"

"My kimono!"

"You're pulling my hair!"

"Dang it stop with the kicking!"

"Who the hell just punched me in the groin?!"

"Yahoo!"

I was enjoying this. This was the return of the group's spirit.

We may live in different places now, and we may have to separate once again to reach for our own dreams, but we still knew when to come back at exactly what time. We had our special days. And we had our special times.

And we all had our special place.

But, as I struggled for my life among the flailing arms and legs splashing water into my face, I knew this was how I liked it to be.

This was how my life would be set.

This life – Miroku, Sango, Kouga, Ayame, Sesshoumaru, Kagura…and Inuyasha – was finally set.

I actually had a goal. I knew I would be visiting Kikyou soon enough.

To live happily. To live with hope, and acceptance. I had to tell her – teach her that.

This was my life. And I was going to live it the way _I _wanted to live it.

…and for the first time –

I didn't mind all the sappiness!

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**The End! **

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**AN: **_Just what is a snow tube?_ That's the question I've been getting lately in reviews. I was surprised how so many people had no idea what snow tubing was, because the description of the tubes alone could've been a hint.

Okay, do you know what a waterslide is? Yes, a slide with water in it. Now imagine yourself riding an air-filled, tire-shaped float, going down the slide in your bathing suite.

Now imagine this all happening in slick snow. With you wearing a jacket and boots instead of a bathing suite.

Here's a link if you want a picture of what I mean; http :// www. Odeasmountain. com / …(without the spaces).

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**Bloopers! **

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Double S: -Takes out a bag of popcorn from the microwave, and brings out some sushi from the fridge-

Kikyou: Preparing for a party?

Double S: Not really. Just getting ready for the final bloopers.

Kikyou: But we didn't have any bloopers from this chapter.

Double S: Exactly. That's why we're having a movie time, so we could watch all of our _favorite _bloopers!

Kikyou: …you don't mean the –

Double S: Yes! _THOSE_ horribly embarrassing scenes that we had to take out in order to finish the story! Bwa ha ha ha ha ha ha!

Kikyou: …how ducky…

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_- Movie Starts - _

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_Chapter: Nerds, Jellies, and Chocolate Chips, Oh My! _

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_Forgotten Scene 4, Take 1_

Jackaroo: Food Fight!

Kagome: -Takes a handful of nerds- Take all the ammunitions! Destroy the oppositions!!!

Sango: -Flings a spoon of jelly, which, incidentally, splats onto one of the rolling cameras- Oops…

Ayame: -Throws a packet of the extra sour nerds, and crashes her shin on a chair in the process- OW!

Miroku: They must go **_down_**!

Kouga: I'll lead the – AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! -the same packet of extra sour nerds lands in his eyes- THE PAIN! THE BURN! THE AGONYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY-!!!

Inuyasha: You coward! We must defend ourRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH! -a whole pie hits him square in the face, and trips on a puddle of jelly, falling off of the stage-

Double S: …where did the pie come from?

Kikyou: -Muttering offstage- I'm glad I'm not in this scene…

Sesshoumaru: -Also offstage- I agree.

Kagura: -Just coming into the studio- What did I missssAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! -Gets hit in the head with a FULL soda can-

Double S: _NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!_ My actress! Wait; who the heck's using full soda cans?!

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_Forgotten Scene 4, Take 2 _

Jackaroo: Food Fight!

Kikyou: So, it doesn't matter what the characters are saying in this scene?

Double S: I'm sure they won't even be loud enough to drone out the food fight…

Kagome: Lead the attack! KILL THE ENEMY!

Double S: …yeah, just a friendly food fight.

Kikyou: …sure…

Inuyasha: **DESTROY ** **AND**** CONQUER!!!** -Flings a pizza slice at one of the girls-

Kagura: …hey, that was my lunch…

Miroku: -About to throw a bowl of punch, when his cell phone rings- Oh! -throws the bowl away and takes the phone out of his pocket, which was covered in custard cream- Hello? Oh, what good day to you too mother!

Double S: You idiot! Don't you remember the policies?! All phones must be turned – -Gets hit on the head by the rogue punch bowl-

Miroku: Oh, a lovely day actually. Yes mother, I love you too. I'm filming, so would it be okay if you – -The phone gets knocked out of his hand as a large amount of donuts bombards him from the other side-

Sango: -Looking dramatically somber- SACRFICE THE DONUTS! _GO THROUGH THE DEFENSES – AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! _

Inuyasha: -Looking dramatically somber himself- SACRIFICE THE RAMEN! _GO THROUGH THE DEFENSES! _

Sesshoumaru: -Looks down at the swirl-eyed author- Okay, who's going to stop the scene if the author's out cold?

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_2 Hours Later _

Kagome: Must…destroy… -Faints from exhaustion-

-The battlefield is littered with food covered bodies, resembling the sight of Gettysburg during the Civil War-

Kagura: -Pulls out a Victrola and starts playing the Star Spangled Banner-

Kikyou: Amazing how a small stage can turn into a mass battlefield tragedy…

Inuyasha: -Coughs- I'm not dead…

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_Chapter: Let It Snow, Let It Sprinkle, Let It Screech _

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_Forgotten Scene 5, Take 1 _

Kagome: -Sitting in the lodge-like hotel with a mug of coffee- Is it really okay? I mean; sitting and playing around in the snow…

Ayame: I'm sure it's fine! Besides, we need a break anyway…

Kouga: Yeah, stop worrying about that stuff…who would look for us in a sleazy hotel room anyway?

Sango and Ayame: -A light bulb pops on top of their head-

Kikyou: That's not good…

Double S: Shush, this is good…

-Music suddenly blares from the ceiling, and Sango and Ayame suddenly starts dancing in a very…very…graphic manner-

Miroku and Kouga: O.O

Ayame: _I'm sitting in this sleazy hotel room, Somewhere along the rocky road of doom _

Sango:_ Looking back at my life and wondering what went wrong, Trying to turn these feelings into a song_

Ayame: _I guess I've always been some kind of a fake, And sometimes I do feel like a flake _

Sango: _But I see where I have come from so clear, And the weight that I've been carrying many years _

Double S: This song's title is _Fresh Blue Waters_, Music and Lyrics by Tolkki.

Kagura: Yes, sound like a professional while we're wasting film on this scene…

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_Forgotten Scene 7, Take 1 _

Inuyasha: -On a snowboard- C'mon Miroku! Let's race!

Miroku: All right Inu, but I warn you, I won the last championship!

Inuyasha: Championship my ass! -Starts off before Miroku says anything-

Kagome: Idiots! We have to look for the others -? Hey what the…

-As Inuyasha and Miroku starts down the slope, the unstable snow starts to collapse on one another, and the fake trees starts falling like a domino-

Kagome: Yikes!

Inuyasha and Miroku: AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! -Trying to outride the avalanche-

Double S: This is perfect! The drama! The action! And the helpless damsel watching her love from the top of the mountain!

Kagome: Excuse me?!

Inuyasha and Miroku: -Still riding down the avalanche-

-The author notices too late that they're heading right towards Camera #8 while rushing away from the avalanche-

Double S: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! JUMP AWAY! _CRASH INTO THE TREES!_ **_CRASH INTO THE TREEEEEEEES! ANYTHING BUT THE CAMERA!_**

Inuyasha and Miroku: -Thinking smarter and ignoring her- **_I'M SORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRYYYYY!!! _**

-Bam, crack, clonk, whoosh, bang, boom-

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_Chapter: X Marks Everything Baby _

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_Forgotten Scene 9, Take 1 _

Inuyasha and Kagome: -Riding down the lane on a snow tube- _AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! _

Miroku and Sango: -Also in the same situation- **AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! **-Miroku's throat closes up and, while he thinks no one's watching, takes out a mint and plops it in his mouth-

-Suddenly, the grooming truck appears from down the lane-

The four riding: -Now even more panicked- **_AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! _**

Double S: Oh crud! I thought we told the guards to close the area for film production!!!

Inuyasha: -Frantically steers the snow tube off to the side; which evidently leads to the frozen lake-

-For a second, the four seems to be flying in midair on their snow tube, then suddenly plunges into the ice headfirst-

_-Crack- _

Double S: -Watches the four unconscious on the unbroken ice surface- I guess the ice is harder than it –

-The ice cracks, and the four plunges into the water with a gurgled yell-

Double S: …I stand corrected.

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_- Movie Ends - _

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Double S: So, what do you think of the good old times, huh?

Inuyasha: It sucked.

Double S: …golly gee; you'd think he would be happy after that romance scene with Kagome…

Miroku: Quite true…

Inuyasha: ––

Kagome: –– I have nothing to say.

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**AN: **Adieu and so long! Look out for my new story – **_JUST_****_ DANCE!_**


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